PLAN OF ACTION

GOAL SETTING Meta Conservation of Umiam Lake and its catchment Workable Goals: Stop solid waste dumping and sewage inflow into Umkhrah & Umshyrpi and other water bodies that flow into Umiam Lake Strengthen/Review Legislation in civic management and amenities in both municipal and non municipal areas and enforcement of sanitation options to address sewage inflow into abovementioned rivers Incentivize/Regulate lake & river friendly land use

RECCOMENDATIONS Explore possibilities & establish decentralized sewage treatment systems in Shillong Control soil loss through participatory watershed activities Control forest fires in Umiam Catchment through efficient monitoring and response systems Create buffer zones around the river, put into action Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Act (1990). There should be a serious effort to develop rules for the same

CONTD…. Set up a open access point for all reports and research work on Umiam, Umkhrah and Umshyrpi to enable data based action possible Explore phyto-remediation options through floriculture to reduce pollutant inflow into lake Use Legal provisions to ensure catchment friendly quarrying & offer policy incentives Encourage household composting of organic/kitchen waste. Provide viable options for households to do the same

CONTD… Enable and empower local institutions, traditional or otherwise to take punitive action against polluters Build capacities of traditional institutions through increased interaction with academic/research institutions, CSOs and Govt Departments Prioritize sub-catchments (NESAC) and appropriately design an intervention as a pilot Take up a neighborhood and work with the SMB/Dorbars in a neighborhood clean up campaign, draw learning's from earlier efforts and leverage on the same

CONTD… Rag pickers and sweepers are key env service providers, establish their importance in society and provide safety tools Promote lake friendly tourism, stricter regulations on recreational activities in lake periphery Provide options and incentives to upstream cultivators to switch to lake friendly practices Work with stakeholders in commercial areas to come up with solid waste and waste water solutions Include local environmental and social issues in schools and higher educational curriculum

CONTD… Setting up of recycling units Convert Shillong Peak into a community conserved area/sanctuary Monitor sediment inflow and control the same at Wah Ro Ro Massive campaign aimed towards Lake and Catchment conservation Explore/Review gaps in present Acts and in their implementation, suggest appropriate methods to plug the same

W HAT SCALE? Sub/Micro-watershed through Public/Public/Private collaboration Community neighborhoods in the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi catchment

CONSENSUS Is there a siltation problem? Does fish populations get affected by pollution? Rag pickers are env service providers