Shillong, June 30: Meghalaya government is in consultation with experts from the United States and Israel, who have been researching biotechnologies for water restoration, to look for long-term solution for the restoration of the Lukha River, whose water has turned bluish in color due to acid mine drainage.
As an initiative towards achieving this goal, State Forests and Environment department has deployed phytoremediation on a pilot experiment basis.
Conducted an inspection of the Lukha river rejuvenation project along with officials from the Forests & Environment Dept.
I assure the people that we are doing our best in finding out ways to revive the river without disturbing the natural habitat & environment surrounding it. pic.twitter.com/Nrl1dTaFA9
— James Sangma (@JamesSangma1) June 30, 2021
“As of now, the pilot experiment has shown encouraging results, with efficiency levels beyond our expectations. We will look to scale this up in the coming days. We also plan to implement phytoremediation for other rivers, where issues range from high acidity to high alkalinity,” Forests and Environment Minister James K Sangma said on Wednesday.
Phytoremediation looks at the utilization of algae for the removal of toxic contents from water.
Lukha River is one of the major rivers in East Jaintia Hills district. The river’s water keeps turning blue regularly due to the acid mine drainage, a phenomena witnessed since 2007.
Sangma said the department is in the process of receiving consultation from experts, and hopes to deploy more such measures, like phytoremediation, in the coming days to maintain the pristine natural beauty of the State.
He also urged various stakeholders and community groups to come forward and assist the government in this initiative. “We believe in mutual cooperation because when it comes to nature, it belongs to everyone,” he said.
He, further, requested the industries to follow all norms and guidelines while underscoring the need to strike a balance between economic activities and maintaining the environment.
“Climate change is real and the urgency of a solution is being repeatedly cited by apex international bodies such as the United Nations,” he said.
Additionally, he informed that department of Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to request the state and the central government to change its name to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
“The issue of climate change has to be dealt with in an urgent manner and we think there is no time remaining for us to wait anymore,” he expressed.
