Guwahati: The District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills has imposed a strict prohibition on the dumping of waste, debris and construction material along a 16-km stretch of the Old National Highway-40, a key arterial route linking Shillong with the rest of the country.
The order, issued by District Magistrate R.M. Kurbah, follows a formal complaint by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which flagged repeated instances of indiscriminate dumping along the road shoulder. The affected stretch extends from Barapani (Km 61.800) to KHADC Junction (Km 77.800), falling within the two-lane section of NH-40 that remains under state maintenance.
Officials said debris, soil and household waste had been routinely discarded by unidentified persons along this corridor, hampering ongoing repair and maintenance work while posing risks to motorists. The stretch marks a crucial transition point where the four-lane Jorabat–Barapani section narrows, increasing its vulnerability to disruptions.
Acting under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the District Magistrate has prohibited three categories of activity with immediate effect: dumping of construction debris or soil along the roadside, unauthorised disposal of domestic or commercial waste, and any action that obstructs maintenance work or impedes traffic flow.
Violators will face prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The order will remain in force until further notice.
The directive follows a similar crackdown by the East Khasi Hills administration earlier in March, when unauthorised excavation and indiscriminate dumping were banned across the district after reports of soil and debris contaminating water sources during the monsoon.
The enforcement assumes added significance given the proximity of the Umiam Lake catchment area along the corridor, which has long been affected by pollution and siltation. Authorities said stricter regulation of waste disposal along roads feeding into the catchment is essential to safeguard water quality and environmental health.