Lockdown heralds good news for water quality of rivers in Shillong

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: As the people of Meghalaya reconcile with the torrid time of the lockdown, the polluted rivers in the State are getting a much needed reprieve from effluents.

Going by the findings of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), the water quality level in the main rivers showed an overall 51.9 percent improvement. Most inspiring is the April 2020 assessment on the two most polluted rivers that run through the heart of Shillong city. They are Umkhrah and Umsyrpi Rivers, where the scientific assessment indicated that the quality of water has drastically improved.

The Umkhrah River water quality improved by 58 per cent and the Umsyhyrpi by 38 per cent since the lockdown, stated senior scientist of MSPCB, Dr B Nongbri in an interaction with The Sentinel on Tuesday.

According to the scientist, there has been a decrease in dissolved oxygen, decrease in bio-chemical oxygen and decrease in coliform count, which is considered as a healthy improvement of the water bodies that they have assessed since the lockdown.

She said that the absence of mini-industrial activities on the banks of Umkhrah is the main factor for the positive findings that was carried in prominent spots under standard parameters. 

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