By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A question was raised by a participant to senior officials of the Forest & Environmental Department whether the Department is really capable of dealing with the host of environmental issues or whether a separate Environmental Protection Agency was needed. The answer from the department was that they were not able to deal with environmental issues adequately. They felt that the two heads should be dealt with separately.
Speaking at an informal meet with journalists, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma was asked if he was willing to take political risks to protect the environment. The Chief Minister replied that taking stand on an issue that is dear to peoples’ heart such as environmental conservation is not a political risk.
The Chief Minister also made an important and far reaching remark that the Forest & Environment Department cannot claim jurisdiction over only 4 per cent of forest cover and pass the buck for the other 96 per cent to the District Councils. “The Department must be held accountable for the protection and conservation of the entire forest cover in the State and they should find the mechanisms and the relevant statutes to take their case forward,” Dr Sangma said.
A presentation from ICARE on the plethora of laws, rules and regulations empowering different Departments related to the environment actually revealed that none of the laws have been effectively implemented on the plea that ‘land belongs to people’. Is this a valid answer the citizen’s wondered.
The Meghalaya Pollution Control Board made a startling revelation that they were ousted out of their air ambiant quality recording station at the MUDA Shopping Complex to make way for the new mall opened recently. Government’s priority obviously is not to control pollution observed citizens.
