By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Unscientific quarrying of hills and rivers is drying water resources in the State as discovered by a group of journalists recently during their visit to Umtyngar.
This manmade disaster is just a matter of time when Meghalaya may witness Uttaranchal type devastation. This region including Meghalaya perhaps caused enough damage to the environment which may pave major disasters.
The heavy downpour, cloudburst and monsoon that wreaked havoc have claimed thousands of lives in the Himalayan state of Uttaranchal. The sight of buildings falling like a pack of cards, coupled with landslides in that, is an eye opener to the thinking people, but they are too less in numbers as the majority appears to be not caring for the environment.
Unhappy over the state of affairs in Meghalaya, Additional Chief Secretary PBO Warjri in charge forest and environment said that the public should suggest what should be done to check the ill effects of environmental degradation through mining.
He, however admitted that there were various measures already with the Government and the need of the hour is to disseminate the information at the grass root.
Prof. D Walia of the department of environmental studies of NEHU said that sands taken from the river and those mined from old sand stones should not be mixed and used as this will pose dangers to the construction activities.
“River sand mining in controlled manner is otherwise good in hilly terrains for the free flow of river, but what is dangerous is human habitations along the rivers by way of forceful occupation. Government should impose taxes and not allow such natural resources free of cost”.
According to Walia, rivers should not be occupied for agriculture and residential purposes. With the threat of earthquakes, the Government should take pre-emptive measures as in case of major earthquakes and other natural calamities, rivers tend to change the course.
The scene of unscientific quarrying going on in the catchment areas of rivers and forests in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills have left the state bereft of the natural springs and rivers that it once boasted of.
There is no end to men’s greed as capital Shillong which even boasts of some of the famous rivers that once passed through the pine city are in a pitiable state now. Even the German Firm, which has tied up with the state government for environmental sustainability, has acknowledged damages done to the local environment here.