Crystal water of Umngot River in Meghalaya turns muddy

Shillong, Oct. 30 -- The otherwise crystal clear water of Umngot River in Meghalaya on the edge of India-Bangladesh border has now turned muddy.

The thoughtless and relentless earth cutting and alleged dumping of soil and other materials into thr river triggered by soil erosion from works upstream being undertaken by the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is largely the reason for the evolving aquatic disaster.

The Umngot river is a major tourist attraction mainly due to its crystal clear water and tourists can see the river bed upto a depth of about 8 meters, especially during this time of the year.

Villagers who depend on the Umngot river for tourism and livelihoods say the transformation has b...