Item No. 07 Court No. 1 BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI Original Application No. 919/2024 News Item titled "Barricade illegal sand mining pose threat to WGH riverbank" appearing in The Shillong Times dated 29.06.2024 Date of hearing: 25.07.2024 CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER

ORDER

1. This Original Application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "Barricade illegal sand mining pose threat to WGH riverbank" appearing in The Shillong Times dated 29.06.2024.

2. The matter relates to the erosion of the banks of Rongai Valley project in Chibinang in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya. As per the article, the water of the Rongai River continues to make inroads by taking away more and more soil every time the river is in full flow. The article alleges that this is taking place due to a barricade that has been placed in the middle of the river near the place where the main dam of the project was envisioned many decades ago. Furthermore, uncontrolled and illegal sand mining from the same river has also contributed to the proble