By Jeannette Ralte
Thursday 25th July, was a very important day for Shillong people, to make the above possible in the governance of Meghalaya.
Why did I find myself, (over the course of six hours) shoulder to shoulder, in gentle discourse, with persons of much esteem and status? Because I care about where I live. And funnily enough, this event “ICARE” organised was the first Citizen’s Conference on Environmental Governance. I was in the same room as, and directly or in-directly spoke to or met, several persons involved into action into ICARE – Society for Informed, Conscious and Responsible Existence. The day was long and the note-taking and Question & Answer sessions were very interactive and robust. After lunch, we were into the 2nd Session and that’s when I felt like I was witnessing the genesis of a paradigm shift in Shillong. For, it has set a precedent- a Declaration Mission. Less words; Just action.
This is the point where we have to stand back and look at what we are doing ….
This is also the point where we redefine the environment sector from not-relevant to, number one priority of Meghalaya. Every sector of Meghalaya’s governance is important, Taxes, Immigration, Education and so many more. But, it is far more disturbing that the basics of life, water, such as, Umtyngar River is dying in front of us, yet we are more concerned with immigration issues. This is the point where we as a society accept that without the environment … simply, we all are dead.
So that’s the citizen’s acknowledgment. We shall start to seriously conserve…
Let’s now look at the other half of the story, the governance implemented by our public servants. These are the most heart-breaking incidents of miserable implementation of the basics: Take the instance of the very day itself; Mines & Minerals Dept. did not make a presentation though a request was made prior. Municipal Affairs weren’t represented. The programme outlined a one-hour session titled, “The Way Forward”… the Speaker for this crucial sitting, had left, not the room, but the ICARE event itself.
Around 90% of the mining in Meghalaya is non-regulated. Umtyngar River is getting blocked because a quarry sits …on the bank of the river … soil and debris is falling into the river. Fish are not alive in the River. The Critical (water) Catchment Areas Act [1990], states that a 200 metre
distance is maintained from periphery of rivers, streams and rivulets. This quarry [just one of four hundred plus, operating in our State], is in direct violation of this most basic rule. The right to Mine does not mean the right to Pollute.
Sohra is a miserable example of when public servants, for whatever reason, don’t do their job and citizens use legal paperwork to excavate loopholes. The coal mining in Jaintia Hills is mostly termed “household category” [rat-hole mining] when in clear vision big machines are excavating the earth, un-scientifically and un-regulated.
Our Chief Minister concedes that our Mining Policy needs restructuring.
A call was made for Mr Rajendra Prasad, of famed water conversation for Rajasthan’s Rivers’ [Pani Larka] to come and help us with Umtyngar River. A call was made for the immediate removal of over-lapping of responsibilities in Government Agencies. The case of, the Forest & Environment Department which regulates just 4% of forest cover is interesting. Then what part of the 96% remaining forest, does not require Forest Department please?
All the Durbar Shnong and the District Councils should start talking with each other. Meghalaya’s land rules and our land tenure system need re-structuring too. For, without respecting and conserving the land and forests, what hope is there for the rivers that run through them? We have steep hills and heavy rainfall so if we chop down our trees, well,… Don’t because; remember Uttarkand? Its land is similar to ours and the whole region.
If you care that your water supply is not satisfactory; if you care that your drains smell because of poor sewage; if you care about blocked traffic on the roads, no parking facilities and new-build’s, very large in size, are coming up all-over the place with no provision for parking of vehicles or wide entrance to the property, is unacceptable; if you care that you would like to start something here in Shillong, instead of say, Bangalore and have this alternative offered to you then start now.
The demands are heavy on public utilities. And now citizens have to allow and guide our public servants. If the citizen does not, then how will the servant do? If you care that there is no civic sense left in poor, once-beautiful Shillong, then re-think the un-biased prejudice against the most necessary expansion of the City into New Shillong town [ship].
If you care enough [hill-people] to stop the systematic forest destruction of our Hills, that cleans your air and water for you, naturally and freely, then see you at the next 1CARE gathering.
The conclusion to this piece is perfectly summarised by the Governor, “there is no quality of life if you don’t put the environment at the core…” And this Meghalaya is the dawning of the era of Ethics.