The sudden rain in Shillong has exposed the
shortcomings of the drainage system in parts of the city.
There is water clogging in small patches in several parts of Shillong and accompanied by dirt and mud, it creates great nuisance for residents.
The way things are, cleanliness in Shillong could soon become a thing of the past as the clouds turn their abode (Meghalaya, of which Shillong is the capital) a hell to live in. To start with, the delay in the beautification process of Khyndailad ( Police Bazar) has rendered the entire stretch of road from the traffic point till Umsohsun muddy making it extremely difficult for the pedestrians to tread upon.
Meanwhile, the Khyndailad stretch till Dreamland, an area which often gets submerged in mud even though the rainy season is in its initial stage, causes multiple problems for the visitors.
Earlier, the PWD had claimed that the beautification project would be over before monsoon but the target has been reset to October meaning that visitors to the area will have to walk on a dumpy road till the rainy season finally shows its back.
The situation is worser in Iewduh (Bara Bazar) as the market is too congested and becomes a ‘mud river’ with the onset of the rains.
Although the Government and the concerned authorities have for long spoken about proper drainage system, very little has been transferred into reality till now.
Areas like Jhalupara and Polo are also among the worst sufferers.
“All the dirt flowing from the dustbins and the waste from the nearby market make things offensively malodorous in the area,” said a resident from Polo.
“It has become a routine affair for us to go through all this every year and with little or no help from the authorities, things do not get any better,” the resident, who did not wanted to be named, added.
However, both the government and the residents are at fault when it comes to dealing with the problems related to drainage and garbage management.
“The localities very often litter the garbage recklessly throwing them in the rivers and drains which results in water clogging and flood”, an official with the municipal affairs department said.
On the other hand, residents from certain localities said that the vehicles of Municipal Board do not reach in time to collect the garbage.
They also suggested that the Board should put up more dust bins considering the growing population of the city.
Rampant construction around the city has also added to the amount of dust and dirt of late.
“The other day I had to wash my car, which was filled with dirt, after the rainfall. Usually rain is expected to clean the dirt but with the amount of dust around it (the rainfall) has an opposite effect,” said a resident.
While nothing much can be done about the Khyndailad beautification project, steps can be taken to find solutions to the water clogging and other problems, which are still at a nascent stage in most parts of the city. (Aafaque Hussain)