The University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) has been constructed within a reserve forest, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed, citing a “committee of the Supreme Court.” He said it was up to Meghalaya government to deal with the issue. “My prayer to God is that it should be demolished as early as possible. USTM is not an educational institute but one that commercialises education. Since it is not in Assam, I can only pray to God for its demolition,” said Sarma who had earlier held the USTM and its chancellor Mahbabul Haque responsible for the floods in Guwahati. “Nobody can guarantee it will exist at its present site after two years,” Sarma said provocatively.
Experts come together at snake symposium
The first ever ‘Assam Snake Symposium’ held recently in Guwahati turned out to be a treasure trove, where over 80 snake rescuers from across the state, alongside national and international experts, researchers, and policymakers gathered. Attending the event, Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary announced the government’s decision to constitute a state-level steering committee on snakebite mitigation. He also proposed establishment of a state-of-the-art serpentarium in Assam to facilitate advanced research on snake venom, addressing the region-specific challenges of envenomation and treatment.
Railway station to turn into a recycling hub
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) will develop the Guwahati railway station into a 100% plastic recycling hub. To achieve this goal, it has signed an agreement with the Assam Pollution Control Board and M/s Kusum Udyog. A dedicated task force has been constituted to steer the initiative. Efforts include improving garbage storage infrastructure, operationalising a compost-making plant and organising passenger awareness drives. Besides, the NFR has signed an agreement with IIT-Guwahati, focussing on introduction of biodegradable bags to replace the existing packets used for bedroll distribution in AC coaches.
Prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com