Editor,
May I place on record the sincere thanks and sense of appreciation to the DC West Jaintia Hills for his courageous and socially responsive action in putting a stop to the illegal limestone mining in Nongtalang. Jaintia Hills has been blessed with an abundance of natural and mineral resources. Unfortunately neglect, greed and self centred interests, both political and administrative, has turned this blessing into a curse. This DC’s action, however transient it may be, has at last sent a message that there is someone with the guts to stand up for the interests of the common man and the state as a whole. His tenure as DC maybe shortlived since he has decided to stand up for justice and not expedient boot- licking. He should not mind such treatment as it is far better to have done something than not to have done anything at all !
Of concern however is the continued apathy, indifference and sense of total déjà vu that the people of both West and East Jaintia Hills have embraced especially in relation to extractive exploitation and abuse of the environment around them. No thought has been given for the poor and the marginalised nor for generations to come. Some of us had conducted a survey on the status of drinking water in the coal mining areas of Lad Rymbai. A mother and her teenage daughter, in the dry season, get up at one in the morning, trudge 3 km to bring back two pitchers of potable water. They are poor, unskilled labourers. On the same day we were invited for lunch to the mansion of a coal baron and served bottled mineral water. The boast of our host is that he buys his drinking water by the truckload! We live in an egalitarian society but pray where is the social justice?
In the same area where the above survey was conducted we came across huge, cavernous places of worship. Gigantic and architecturally accredited churches dotted the skyline. People proudly informed us that the structures were erected solely through contributions of the faithful. It was really impressive. On the other hand the land surrounding these symbols of piety was fast turning into a desolate wasteland incapable of supporting life in the future. It would indeed be unfortunate, God forbid, that one day these beautiful structures would remain empty, hollow and unkempt, bereft of worshippers, because all would have fled elsewhere. Truly, it is not money but the blind love for money that is the root of all evil.
Yours etc.,
Toki Blah,
Via email
Of administrative courage!
Editor,
The recent order issued by the Deputy Commissioner West, Jaintia Hills District to ban limestone mining in the Nongtatalng areas has given hope to the civil society of the area who have struggled to save the environment. It would impress upon them that all is not lost .The DC has taken a courageous stand which needs to be appreciated. We hope he will be allowed to continue to serve in the District so that he can monitor the consequences of his order for desirable end results. The order would also definitely supersede that of another parallel power in the District which in the first place gave the permission for the limestone mining and that too perhaps without any preconditions, as always . The way the miners are given a free hand to carry on with such detrimental activities for so long with a huge toll on the environment is astonishing. It is as if there is no concerned authority in the State to check this. The very fact that the civil society of Nongtalang area has had to approach the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to save their habitat from the mining mafia would indicate that there is something amiss at the State level. The Forest Act has been violated with impunity and it would be difficult to comprehend that the concerned state government authority has been blind to this or has taken shelter in flimsy excuses which deter it from exercising its influence . In the meantime , while the ban will have immediate impact in halting all undesirable activities , the immediate need is to reclaim the area to reverse the damage that has been done . I have not seen the limestone mines of Nongtalang to assess the adverse consequences of mining activities there, but I have seen enough of the damaging effects of coal mining to conclude that even if the mining is immediately stopped it will take several decades and more than one generation for these mined areas to be restored to the point where they can have an advantageous influence on the surrounding environment . Reclamation of abandoned mines would involve a sizable expenditure. Surely we cannot expect public money to be spent for such reclamation activities when the damage has been done by private miners/companies. The public have no role in damaging the land, forest and water resources. The mine owners have to bear the cost. Perhaps, in addition to the ban, penalty should also be imposed on the perpetrators to make them pay for the damage caused. It’s a tempting thought because after all ,these perpetrators must have earned more than enough at the expense of others.
Yours etc.,
K.L.Tariang
Via email