SHILLONG: In what can be termed as a last ditch effort to save the dying Wahumkhrah river, the East Khasi Hills District Administration would soon resort to the sealing of toilets that discharge waste directly into the river.
Speaking to reporters here, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal said that the district administration at first would issue notice to the owners of such toilets who are discharging their waste directly into the river and if no action is taken, the department would seal the toilets.
The statement of the Deputy Commissioner holds water in view of the fact that many settlers along the bank of the river has constructed toilets which discharge directly waste into the river.
According to Goyal, the District Administration is holding sensitization programmes among the people on the need to protect the Wahumkhrah River and he is happy for the fact that localities like Lapalang and Nongrah have come forward and has assured that they would convene a meeting in the localities where people would be urged not to pollute the river.
However, the localities downstream of the river so far have not shown much response to save the river from further pollution.
Stating that a massive awareness was required to save the river, he appealed to the people not to further pollute the river.
It may be mentioned that the Wahumkhrah river has now turned into a drain due to encroachment of the river and once upon a time NGOs and civil societies were making hue and cry over the depleting condition of the river but all such concerns have faded away with time.
When asked about the garbage management in the city, Goyal admitted that the garbage management system of the city was not up to the mark even as he stated the Government was working on an Asian Development Bank project under which waste would be segregated in the doorsteps of the household.
“If we segregate the waste scientifically we would see that 60-70 percent of the waste is biodegradable,” Goyal said.