Context: Amidst reports of human activities adversely affecting the rivers and forests of Meghalaya, a piece of welcome news has come as a ray of hope for the people. 

• The Meghalaya government has claimed that a detoxing pilot project has brought a river back from the dead.

Key Project

• A detoxing pilot project initiated by the Government of Meghalaya has reduced the impact of acid mine drainage from coal and limestone mining which affected the water quality of River Lukha.
• The Lukha river is in the East Jaintia Hills district where most of Meghalaya’s coal mines are located.
• The project was initiated under District Mineral Fund over the contamination of the Lukha, marked by dead fish and the colour of the water turning either blue or yellow.
• The detoxification process is called phycoremediation.
• It has rejuvenated Lukha by using algae to remove toxic contents from the water.
• It has improved the pH level of a critical stretch of the river.