With an aim to identify and preserve the medicinal plants in the State, the Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice (SPIKAP) is in the process of documentation and mapping of local health traditions in Meghalaya.

“The process also includes prioritisation, identification and mapping of medicinal plants used in the traditional medicine systems of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes of the State”, SPIKAP Chairman John F Kharshiing said on Thursday.

SHILLONG: The Department of Fisheries, with an aim to enhance the capacities of the fish farmers of Meghalaya on various modern technologies and methods of fish farming, fish seed production, fish production in ponds and tanks, management of hatcheries, etc., has established a Research & Training Institute, to be known as the Meghalaya State Fisheries Research & Training Institute (MSFRTI) at Mawpun in Ri Bhoi District.

In a development which will go a long way in disaster management and mitigation, the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), located at Umiam, Ri–Bhoi district of Meghalaya will develope a

NONGPOH: With the aim and objective to avoid acute shortage of drinking water and to prevent the State from shortage of portable water, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) of North Eastern Region, Guwahati, Under the Ministry of Water Resources launched a two-day training course on village level aquifer management plan to preserve the ground water on Tuesday at C&RD Block office, Umsning.

Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioners Akash Deep, who inaugurated the training, and P Kalita, Scientist, CGWB, were the special invitees at the programme.

SHILLONG: Out of 365 villages which have been awarded with the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) 2011 Award, it is suprising that none of the villages from Jaintia Hills received the award.

As per the total sanitation campaign report, which showcases the performance of the Khasi Hills, Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi, it was mentioned that one of the no villages from Jaintia Hills qualified to get the NGP Award for 2011.

SHILLONG: In a curious move, the Ri-Bhoi district administration in 2010 valued the trees planted and nurtured by the Government at Rs 5.42 crore aimed at handing over the amount to the village illegally.

The argument of the district administration was that the trees were nurtured by the village.However, an audit observation in this regard said that “in view of fact that the trees on Mawpalai was raised by the Government, the payment of Rs 5,42,95,374 against the trees as valued by DC, Ri-Bhoi is thus irregular.”

SHILLONG: The reported move by Assam to construct dam on Dron (called Khri river in Meghalaya) has raised concern among environmentalists in Meghalaya.

The adviser of the Indigenous Biodiversity and Social Welfare Organisation (IBSWO), PBM Basaiawmoit, on Wednesday said the construction of dams would have “huge repercussion” on the environment.

NONGPOH: Land owners and the Umden Dorbar Pyllun have joined hands to pressurise the State Government to release the compensation package for the land owners affected by the Shillong Airport expans

NONGPOH: Over hundreds of land owners have set September 30 deadline for the State Government to release the compensation for the land which the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had acquired for expansion of Umroi Airport.

The land owners from Umden Mission along with the leaders of Seng Samla Umroi Pyllun and the representative of Dorbar Shnong Umden took this decision in a meeting held at Umden Mission Community Hall, Umroi, on Tuesday.

Shillong: In a boost to tea production in Meghalaya, three of its plantations and processing units have been certified “organic” by a certified agency of the government of India, official sources said on Monday.

The certification for processing and plantation have been given to Urlong Tea factory in East Khasi Hills district and Nalan Tea industries and government-owned Meg Tea processing unit in Ri-Bhoi district, they said. India Organic which awarded the “organic” certificates to these factories has approved that black tea, CTC tea, green tea and hand-rolled tea from these factories are considered as organic certified.