Editor,
In these past few weeks I noticed loud noise emanating from different parts of this city which can no longer be ignored. Yes it’s the “Drilling Machine,” man’s next quest for a natural resource that is scarce at present. I recall reading a news item in your daily a few weeks back that the Government of Meghalaya would enact a law to ban drilling of water in Shillong city. Perhaps that is what has triggered this menace of drilling underground water at random all over the place to such an extent that some affluent person would start drilling with two machines at the same place thinking that he has secured his future without a thought for the surrounding populace. The rate at which this is done is appalling. We also find instances like in Oakland road where after water is drilled the premises in and around is overflowing with water. This is not only a total waste but also an inconvenience to others who use that road for months together.
The act of drilling is selfish in nature. When I visited The United Arab Emirates in 2010, I learnt that petrol would cost Rs.13 a litre while drinking water would cost Rs.27 a litre, I would tell my friends that I’d rather live in a place where drinking water is free than pay for it no matter how cheap the price of petrol may be. It’s just three years now and the tables have already turned in my native place. It’s sad to see it all happen before my eyes. For clean water, the whole of Shillong depends on the foot hills of Shillong peak and the surrounding areas. What will happen if the level of water recedes due to this untamed drilling? The areas beneath these hills, which is half of Shillong town will run out of water. We have seen what greedy mine owners, unscientific mining and the law that is full of flaws has done to the mining areas of Jaintia hills and now West Khasi Hills and Garo hills?
Now who is to blame for all this menace? Our State is reeling under so much turmoil in recent times be it the law and order problem or pressure from the outside circle of demands or the dilapidating road conditions- just name it. But whenever such issues are discussed the Government is always blamed for the mess. Now I would like to perceive this differently. I am of the opinion that this Government should be given a fair chance to prove its performance since we voted it to power. If the Government is not given a fair chance to perform in its own term then how do we prepare a report card half way even before the final examination has taken place? This belief of mine has started to crush and about to crumble if what I think is true.
I started calculating the timing of these events. Is it that the law to ban drilling of water has already passed the shaping in the anvil? Is it that the news item is nothing but an indirect message of a law coming into place so people have started doing whatever they can now? I hope not, I pray not! This Government seemed to me the best performing government in recent times! I hope that if there is such a law in place then the Government should treat it as most important and nothing less than an emergency and pass it without any delay. The favourite word of the present Chief Minister is’ PROACTIVE,’ so please don’t delay any decision in this regard or a time will come when we will all be left high and dry.
“Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink”
Yours etc.,
S.Nongkynrih
Superintending Officer
NSSO(FOD), Shillong.
Terrorised citizenry?
Editor,
We all know that recently a man was set aflame in broad daylight in Motphran . This is a deplorable action. But several days after this gruesome incident , where are the silent candle light marches by the ” People of Shillong ?” saying, ” This was wrong” . A girl gets raped in Delhi and the entire town is up in protest by the hundreds and thousands at India Gate ! Here, a man is burned in broad daylight and everyone just says, “Oh, that was so horrible.” Where are the candle light marches? Where are the silent means of protest against such a gruesome act ? Or have our fears reached such an insurmountable height that we even fear to protest ? There is a lot of support for ILP but can the very same people with a straight face and without a shred of guilt go to talk to the children of the man who was burnt? Can they explain that for the sake of “preventing outsiders from entering here,” their father became an unsuspecting victim? The NGO’s have claimed that they had nothing to do with this. But they will surely have to agree that the incident was an indirect fallout of the Pro ILP protest . My heart goes out to the man who was burnt, but let us not call him a ” victim. ” He is a ” survivor” and as for the people of ” The land of clouds,” , if I were to quote Shakespeare who said ” Cowards die many times before their death but the valiant never taste death but once,” then I feel , we have all died a million deaths as our fears have now enveloped us so much so we even fear to protest.
Yours etc.,
Aryan Kodiyatar,
Via email