By Naba Bhattacharjee
According to the old adage, charity begins at home. It still holds good to-day and “charity” includes initiation of deeds which are of common good. A home, household or family is where one often acquires important life values and habits and forms the foundation for other social and human organizations, including extent of their effectiveness and credibility. Thus, if all households and families within Shillong urban agglomerate become aware of the importance of not polluting the water bodies and take conscious efforts to reduce water pollution, it shall not take more than few years to rejuvenate both the streams and restore their past pristine glory within a decade. Water pollution solutions must first start with the household and the home. Preventing pollution of our waterways is everyone’s responsibility. Our water bodies are suffering because of us; yet many say, “I don’t contribute to the denigration”. “How is it my problem?”
Sorry but it’s everyone’s problem and no matter where one lives within the catchment of Wah Umkhrah & Umshyrpi, one can help save both these water bodies. At present there is no authority responsible for protection and conservation of rivers, streams in the State. The river front is everybody’s concern, but what about the river itself. The Environment Protection Act 1986 provides adequate provisions for notifying a State Regulatory Authority for conservation of water sources including rivers, water bodies etc in addition to a Water Quality Assessment Authority. Besides lamenting, it is also imperative to look for solutions and arrest further deterioration to start with as initiated by a committed organization ICARE by involving a host of NGOs and organizations as members of a Task Force with inspiring support and round the clock accessibility of DC East Khasi Hills to set the ball rolling towards amelioration. to set the ball rolling towards amelioration.
Given the various causes of water pollution, there are many things that household can do to help with the water pollution problems locally. There is no doubt that governments and related public health and pollution control agencies have important roles to play in terms of how to stop water pollution, whether it is through education and awareness of the masses, or through putting in place proper and effective water cleaning and sewage systems, or through enforcing strict laws against water pollution by industries, households and individuals. Nonetheless, the responsibility for water pollution solutions does not only lie with the government and other statutory agencies.
Households contribute significantly to water pollution by resorting to haphazard disposal of garbage, sewage and chemicals present in conventional cleaning liquids, garden pesticides, fertilizers et al. One of the best household water pollution solutions is to switch to household products which are usually biodegradable, and would break down into harmless substances after a while. As such, the impact they have on water sources and the environment is minimal. Although certain natural processes may cause some amount of water pollution, anthropogenic effects cause water pollution the most. We need to use water everyday in our homes which comes from groundwater sources, rivers, and lakes. Most of the water we use and abuse finds its way back to one or more of the water bodies. The used water from agricultural and industrial practices, and household use, all comes together to generate sewage or wastewater. If sewage is allowed to flow back into water systems without being treated, it causes pollution. The polluted water bodies harm all life, humans, animal and plants. Water also gets polluted due to surface runoff which flow directly from household drains through storm-water drains into water bodies without any treatment. The disposal of sewage is a major problem in Shillong particularly direct discharge into the water bodies including the two streams thus carrying disease causing bacteria and viruses into sources of water. While we should see to it that the government is stringent about their policies related to sewage treatment plants and methods, there are many things that we can carry out individually to prevent water pollution.
Everyday household activities are a major contributor to polluted runoff, which is among the most serious sources of water contamination. When it rains, different household pollutants are all washed into storm water drains and sewers to discharge into the one of the two streams which finally flows down and empties into the “endangered” Umiam Lake – a virtual septic tank of 10 sq kms area burdened with multifarious ecological impingement generated over 220 sq kms of its catchment area (“Umiam Lake facing extinction” by this writer – ST-20th May 2008). These are the same lakes, rivers and streams we rely on for drinking, bathing, swimming and fishing. Some ways to reduce polluted household runoff includes proper disposal of solid waste (garbage) and hazardous waste. Installation of low cost garbage traps at the outlet of drains and recycling of household sullage prior to discharge in addition to “rain garden” which capture runoff in shallow depressions and allows it to soak into the ground, instead of running off to the storm drains. This process not only serves as water pollution solutions, it also helps to replenish underground water with water filtered by the soil. Reducing use of water is one of the easy-to-implement water pollution solutions. Less water used means less water polluted thereby treated before it gets discharged since over 70% of the water used in our home is either flushed down the toilet or shower drain. Impervious surfaces around our home must be minimized. Septic tank requires timely cleaning as effluent from failed or poorly maintained septic systems can contaminate groundwater or seep into storm water drains.
Once an individual household is no longer a source of pollution, community action to improve ones immediate neighbourhood followed by the locality becomes easier to implement. Rejuvenation of Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi has to be a sustained people’s movement which may take even a decade or more to educe results on the ground. The people’s movement to restore and conserve our water bodies shall be launched through a public awareness and sensitization rally organized by the Task Force on “Save Wah Umkhrah & Umsyrpi” on 21st of this month, where citizens are expected to take a pledge to work for saving our water bodies. It is time for Shillongites, particularly the youth to rise to the occasion and show the world that we can do it together and make it happen – a pollution free and clean Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi. (The writer is an environmentalist and member of the Task Force)