Meghalaya: Supreme Court Committee Inspects USTM, Killing Area

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Deputy Commissioner of the Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya, Abhilash Baranwal, said that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court, conducted an inspection at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), the Killing area, and certain mining zones in the district recently.

"The Central Empowered Committee was constituted by the Supreme Court following a case filed by a resident of Assam before the Supreme Court against some deforestation activities that have been carried out in Meghalaya. The claim is that this deforestation is leading to flooding in Guwahati," Baranwal stated, and added, "We received information from the Forest Department that since it is a matter of deforestation or the alleged earth cutting, etc., which falls within the domain of the Forest Department, the Central Empowered Committee coordinated with the Meghalaya Forest Department."

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed USTM for resorting to rampant earth-cutting, leading to frequent waterlogging in Guwahati. The Chief Minister said that the Assam Government wanted the SC-appointed CEC to investigate the increasing deforestation and construction on the hills of Meghalaya, aggravating the flood situation in Guwahati.

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