Shillong is known as
the “Scotland of the
East” but this phrase is fading away day by day, mostly because of the lack of civic sense amongst the people around.
There are several cases where humans play an important role in polluting nature, but few unique ways are listed here.
When you look around the city, the most common sight that we see nowadays are small packets of pan masala (gutkhas, shikhar, talab, 5000, etc etc which has become an addiction especially amongst the youngsters), disposable plastic bottles, plastic packets of chips and other edibles.
Unfortunately these wrappers are being thrown carelessly everywhere in each and every corner of the city. Educational institutions and localities are even not spared from this menace.
A couple of years ago this was not the case, but the scenario is getting worse by the day.
Littering is not restricted just to pedestrains but people travelling in cars can be seen littering the roads as well.
Chewing Kwai is a favourite amongst the old and young, but with the lack of civic sense or just plain disregard of public property, random spitting is observed at every turn especially government offices, hospitals and other public areas.
A habit or skill that has been picked by drivers, who cautiously open their door (mind you while on the road) to spit openly.
Another common sighting is rubbing of lime carelessly at every nook and corner in the city such as public transport, government offices and other public areas. In Shillong even an electrical post is not spared!
This obviously reflects on us as a society that no matter how educated or modern we consider ourselves, we still lack the basic etiquette skills.
Random dumping of garbage is another scene that one encounters every morning.
These dumping sites would vary from locality to locality. Some would include the street within the locality or drains from which sometimes old car tyres or even old sofa sets have been fished out to clear the clogging drains.
An exclusive site is the area by the rivers or streams, where dumping of all types of garbage from household to medical and industrial waste occurs.
No one cares as long as their house is spick and span, dump the garbage wherever it is convenient.
The consequences of these actions are always on display every morning you take a walk or during the rainy season or if you happen to pass by a stream or river.
Its very sad to see that majority of us do not respect our mother nature or our town. Cleanliness, etiquette skills and common sense are however confined only to our homes!
We tend to forget all our values the moment we come out in the open for the little wrong doings that we have to offer are never seen within the confinement of our house boundaries.
(Contributed by Mrs Dalari Lyngdoh)