It is hard to miss the flowing Lukha river in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills. This river might seem almost pristine among the lush green hills of Jaintia Hills.
However, the river is subject to high levels toxic acidic pollution from mining activities in this region. This is a serious threat to the river’s biodiversity and the livelihood of the people who live along its course.
James P.K., Meghalaya’s Forest and Environment Minister, saw the need to act in such dire circumstances. Sangma took a unique community-driven initiative in order to revive the river. This process was called phytoremediation. It uses micro-green algae to restore water’s pH and absorb acid mine drainage.
“The idea is to empower local communities as much possible to engage in such an initiative. Sangma explained that the Hynriew Shnong Wah Lukha Association, a community-led association, had taken active steps in 2018 in order to raise awareness about the river and work towards its revival.
“The river is the property of the people, and their engagement becomes essential. We have seen positive results so far in the pilot phase. The river is slowly coming back to life. He stated that the state plans to scale up such projects for other polluted rivers.
The Forest and Environment Department collaborates with Trinity Impex International, a Delhi-based company that specializes in water management.
This is supplemented through research and consultation with scientists in Israel and the United States who have pioneered natural methods to solve water pollution.
“With all the hard work that has gone into it, the water of Lukha is now on its way to normality. Normal water has pH 7 and Lukha’s is at 6.5. Current reports indicate that Lukha has an acidity of 6.5. Sangma also stated that algae cultivation has been started in 14 different ponds at Sonapyrdi village within East Jaintia Hills.
Jaintia Hills is home to the Lukha River. It has been previously featured for its rathole mining technique. This is where miners dig small tunnels to extract coal. Unscientific methods can also pose a danger to water bodies, making it risky to work in these conditions.
After receiving a petition, in 2014 the National Green Tribunal placed a ban on unscientific mining of coal in the state. This ban was lifted in 2019 following a Supreme Court verdict that allowed mining on privately-owned and community-owned land.
Since then, Conrad K. Sangma, the Chief Minister, has advocated scientific mining in the state. He recently stated that this will begin in 2022 to limit pollution and prevent any hazardous practices.
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