By HH Mohrmen
Today is the last day of the year. Everybody is busy making the best use of the last few hours of the year. Some of us are busy preparing for the New Year eve celebration which will happen at the strike of midnight, while some would try to finish few uncompleted tasks. Many of us would not even have the time to read anything, leave alone a newspaper article; still many would not wish to end the year without reading the last edition of the good old Shillong Times. Like a student before entering the examination hall, I also have so many things to write about which I wish to cram in this one last article of the year. Hence unlike the previous articles where I only deal with one subject in one article, today my write up will comprise several topics/issues.
Well, I will start with the not so good story first. I have, at a personal level campaigned against mining which has poisoned the rivers and destroyed the forests of our state and Jaintia hills in particular, but I was disappointed with the kind of mines and mineral policy that the MUA government had ‘gifted’ to the people of the state. Adding salt to our wounds the government then came up with a new definition of forests in the state, which will only help decimate whatever forest we have in the state. The MUA government under the leadership of Dr Mukul Sangma has failed us on many counts and has not been able to please anyone in the state when under his leadership a completely flawed Lokayukta bill was passed in the house.
In the battle to protect and preserve the environment, illegal mining always wins the day when the people, particularly the locals sees only the short term benefits that mining brings in the form of employment and an opportunity to improve their economic well being. This is the same story everywhere. We try to educate people about the imminent threat of destroying our environment, from Khliehriat to Nongkhlieh, Rymbai to Lumchnong and now Nongtalang but people would continue to fail to see darkness at the end of the tunnel. People were bribed a measly sum of Rs. 3000 to 4000 just to attend and to support a cement company at the hearing conducted by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board. Local NGOs who tried to raise their voices were either forced to fall in line or threatened with dire consequence or like in the case of limestone mining in Nongtalang the NGOs themselves withdrew because they realized that they were reduced to a minority.
But come winter, the ghost of the quick wealth started to appear in the Narpuh area in the form of dust which has covered the houses of the people like the snow-clad pictures in the Christmas cards they just received. Water has been a problem for Lumchnong village since Adhunik which is now sold to Dalmia without the knowledge of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (not that Council cares, really, because this issue was brought to the knowledge of the CEM since the day it was reported that the deal was signed in Delhi) The Dalmia/Adhunik plant was set up less than 100 meters upstream of the source of water of Lumchnong village and the company has rationed water to the village every winter since the plant was constructed on the site. A school teacher from Lumchnong recently posted on his Facebook page that the children from the area including his own daughter was diagnosed of to be suffering from chest problems and the local doctor in Khliehriat CHC told him that this is a common complaint coming from the people of the area nowadays.
In Nongtalang, in spite of mining being illegal because forest clearance was given despite it being a forested area, the export of the mineral itself is illegal. Limestone is exported to Bangladesh in spite of it being considered a minor mineral and royalty is collected by the the Forest Department on condition that the end use is for construction purposes. Unlike coal where the Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR) collects revenue, in the case of limestone it is the Forest Department which earns revenue. The state is blatantly deceived by the miners who claim that the limestone exported to Bangladesh is used for construction purposes. The government has lost heavily in terms of revenue collection. The fact is that limestone is exported to Bangladesh for use in the cement companies of that country. Sad to say; Nongtalang too has started to suffer. People don’t have to wait till the lean season in the month of February and March to face water problems; it has already started and it is always the women and children who have to bear the brunt of carrying water from a distant sources.
The good news is that before it is too late the people of Jowai town have at least awakened to the plight of the river Myndtu. The seminar to save the river which was organized by the Jaintia Tourism and Environment Society was attended by members of the Jaintia Fishing and Environment Society, representatives of local durbars in Jowai and leaders of different NGOs. The campaign also has the support of the office of the Deputy Commissioner who himself attended the workshop and the daloi of the elaka Jwai K.C. Rymbai. The campaign has resolved to propose to the district administration to constitute a Save river Myntdu task force which will also comprise of civil society and various government departments. The objective is to bring convergence of various government schemes to protect and preserve Myntdu while there is still time. At the deliberations in the seminar it was discovered that the JHADC which was empowered by the Sixth Schedule to make rules to protect rivers has not done so till date. It was resolved to move the Council to immediately make rules to protect and preserve rivers in the district. The Seminar also suggested that the Council create 100 meter buffer zones on either side of the river and on the entire stretch of the river. Indigenous saplings and even bamboos are to be planted on the entire stretch of this buffer zone. The meeting also decided to request the Deputy Commissioner to promulgate section 144 CrPc banning any kind of mining, sand banking and collection of boulders from the river Myntdu.
It was on the 23 October that a group of people from Jowai decided to organize a Flash mob to clean the Madiah Kmaiblai and Syntu Ksiar portion of the river Myntdu just for the sake of doing it. We are glad that before the celebration of the 150th death anniversary of the death of Kiang Nangbah and again with the help of Facebook another flash mob of cleaning the river Myntdu was organized by the Jaintia Students Union on the December 28 and a large number of people turned up for the cleaning.
Finally, I wish we recognise people who have contributed and fought for the cause of those neglected and forgotten in Meghalaya by way of instituting the ‘person of the year award’. If I were to nominate a person of the year in Meghalaya, it will be Agnes Kharshiing. The woman has fought for the cause of those neglected, especially women who have been molested and raped and she has become a problem for the government throughout the year. I salute Agnes Kharshiing. Happy New Year!
