Mission Green Meghalaya
SHILLONG: The Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills, Sanjay Goyal, IAS, addressed a Workshop on Mission Green Meghalaya organised by the Meghalaya Institute of Governance, District Administration ( East Khasi Hills) and Ka Synjuk ki Arliang ah-Umiam Welfare Society where around 400 people of Hima Laitkroh and Mawphlang came together at the Enterprise Facilitation Centre, Laitkroh C&RD Block on the recently for a dialogue on the burning issues of deforestation, quarrying, water scarcity and livelihoods of the area.
He said that people of Meghalaya had a tradition of preserving their environment but lately things have started to deteriorate, while citing the examples of coal mining in Jaintia Hills and the Wahumkhrah in Shillong.
The objective of this workshop, he said, was to initiate people to think and pick out a role where they can contribute ideas and efforts on alternative livelihoods that can provide good, clean income and wean them away from the present practices.
The people, on their part informed that it was the deterioration in agriculture production and lack of other means of livelihood that compelled them to take up quarrying since it allows ample time for women to work in the quarries while at the same time taking care of their household chores.
The workshop resolved that an integrated village development plan will be prepared with the help of Meghalaya Basin Development Authority at the earliest.
As part of the Mission Green Meghalaya and in order to create awareness about the benefits of the alder trees for nitrogen fixation, fuel wood generation and as an environmentally friendly species for agro-forestry, Manju Nath DFO Khasi Hills conducted a demonstration of the pollarding techniques at Upper Shillong recently where members of the Synjuk ki Arliang Wah Umiam Welfare Society, Institute of Natural Resource (INR) and Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG) were present.