AIZAWL:
Four youth groups of Mizoram, on June 23, sent a strongly worded letter to state Chief Minister Zoramthanga seeking his intervention into the massive environmental damage caused by the construction of national highways by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
“The NHIDCL has violated all environmental laws in its constructions of national highways in Mizoram. Besides causing massive destruction to the environment, it is disregarding the wishes of the local people. Being the head of the state, you must act fast before they take the law into their own hands,” said the letter, submitted to the chief minister by youth groups of Lunglei, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual towns.
The NHIDCL, which is executing widening works on NH-06 (Seling to Zokhawthar), NH-54 (Aizawl to Tuipang), NH-302 (Lunglei to Tlabung),NH-102B Keifang to Manipur, has caused annihilation to thousands and thousands of trees, bamboos, land and aquatic animals, the letter said.
They alleged that the excavated soil dumped by the contractors has buried 99 per cent of perennial and seasonal streams along the ongoing highway constructions. The soil further flows into major rivers, causing major threats to the aquatic animals, it said.
On Wednesday, Mizoram’s Lunglei district authorities in southern Mizoram censured NHIDCL for alleged violations of environmental laws and instructed the corporation and the contractors to ensure that excavated soil is dumped only into the identified soil banks.
Lunglei District Monitoring Committee On Compliance Of Environmental Laws, in a meeting chaired by district deputy commissioner Kulothungan A, also directed the NHIDCL to construct appropriate protective walls so as to prevent damage and siltation to any land, lakes or rivers.
The DC instructed the central government-owned highway construction company and contractors working under it to give high priority to the issue, and ensure compliance so as to avoid repercussions.
He said that as the committee was tasked to deal with all matters related to safeguarding of the environment for all development projects in the district, swift action will be taken against those found in violation of Environmental Laws within the District.
Member Secretary of the committee PC Lalchhandama, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Lunglei stated that his office has conducted inspections along NH-54 & NH-302, where it was found that contractors have been dumping excavated soil outside the designated dumping areas.
“Stay order and show cause notice have been issued, with no response so far either from NHIDCL or the contractors,” Lalchhandama said.
The company and other contractors have been given a timeline of 15 days for compliance. Follow up meetings as well as site inspection would soon be scheduled by the Committee after the deadline.
Following protests by well-known social activist Vanramchhuangi, more popularly known as Ruatfela Nu, in front of the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) of the state environment, forests and climate change department, the PCCF had instructed all the DFOs to undertake on the spot verification of the construction works of the NHIDCL.