India, Oct. 31 -- Extensive earth cutting for the widening of the Shillong-Tamabil highway and the alleged disposal of soil and construction debris into the Umgnot and Umtyngar rivers by project agencies have raised serious environmental concerns in Meghalaya.

Ricky Syngkon, the Lok Sabha MP from Shillong, expressed worry over the Umngot river, which has reportedly turned muddy due to soil erosion from upstream construction activities carried out by the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

In a letter to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Syngkon claimed that dumping soil and other materials into the rivers has caused "severe environmental degradation of the Umngot river (D...