Editor,
Police Bazar, supposed to be the ultimate shopping experience for Shillongites is an eyesore at the moment. If there is one place in Shillong, any tourist would first hear about it is Police Bazar. This is the hub of the city and whoever traverses to Shillong would have to pass through it, no matter what. Therefore it is the first selling point as far as the tourism of our state is concerned. There is an old adage which says. “The first impression is the last impression.” For us the citizens of Meghalaya Police Bazar is where we would rush to for the latest fashion and accessories. Since this is the place with most footfalls, any promotional activity starts here as well, whether it be the Election Commission trying to woo voters during elections, or the NGOs’ trying to get the attention of their various causes or even religious organisations giving messages of hope and salvation from time to time. The Urban Affairs Department had taken the initiative to beautify this place and worth mentioning are the “beautiful laid tiles”laid out a year ago along the whole stretch of Police Bazar. We applaud this wonderful initiative of the Government. But gauging from the present state of affairs and looking at the expensive tiles today, I dare say it was a wasteful investment on the part of the Government simply because there is no “maintenance policy” from the Urban Affairs Department. Every endeavour that the government has undertaken is a one-off affair with “zero maintenance.” Politically speaking they are happy spending public money on many projects but “who cares” what happens after that. This has become the norm of most Government Departments in our state. The citizens too are equally at fault as everyone is only concerned about their own well being without caring about the greater good of society. The cost of investment in laying down these tiles is huge as compared to the other option of tarring the place. Now common sense would dictate that these tiles are only meant for people to walk on and not for vehicles to tread on. Sikkim is a good example of stringent implementation on the tiled road but Meghalaya Government is not known to have a spine and succumbed to the plea of car owners’ living along that commercial area. The question is – should people be allowed to have residential accommodations atop their commercial establishments? Delhi Govt was very strict on this count and demolished many a shop set up below a residence. Now because of the pressure from the vehicles that pass through the stretch day in and day out, many of these tiles have popped up and become unstable. Worse still with the monsoons setting in shoppers have to keep their eyes on the ground to ensure they do not tread on anyone of those “popped-out” tiles lest they slip and fall. What a bizarre shopping experience? Why can’t the Govt through the Traffic Department stop this menace of vehicles entering this stretch? Is it because the elite class who love shopping in this area but do not like to walk with the masses have a greater say? I once saw the DGP’s vehicle parked right outside a shop along this road when others are not allowed to bring vehicles inside. What injustice is this? Or have these people bought this entire stretch from the Government where they can bring in their hired commercial autos inside whenever they want to load and unload goods? A Govt that means business should not have allowed vehicles to pass through a tiled road. Period. I suggest the Urban Affairs Minister visit Mussourie, Gangtok and Shimla and learn some good practices from there. But does she really care?
Yours etc.,
Lawrence Pherliam Sumer,
Via email
On rat hole mining
Editor,
The ban on rat hole mining is not to deprive us of our economic liberties but to regulate and stop inhuman acts and beastly attitudes towards Mother Earth. Our coal businessmen have so far exploited the hills and valleys digging coal haphazardly, randomly, wildly without any concern for the environment or heritage. They have destroyed our springs – the source of our drinking water. On physical inspection of the coal producing villages of Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills one finds acute scarcity of potable drinking water as springs have vanished and streams have gone dry. In spite of the Supreme Court directive on cutting timber in a planned manner trees are mercilessly destroyed in the process of earth cutting. Many hospitals in Shillong and Guwahati are packed with patients from coal producing villages which exhibits the effects of unscientific mining. The recent news that even the office complex of the Deputy Commissioner of Khliehriat could not be constructed due to presence of rat hole mines below the surface is quite alarming. Those responsible for such a catastrophe should be brought to book. These are just a few examples. Many more inhuman and alarming incidents take place in the coal belt every now and again and they happen because coal businessmen want easy returns but don’t’ want to invest in good mining practices. If they had invested in mining using scientific methods and environment friendly approaches they would have made the business sustainable. These businessmen have been looting nature on the excuse that this is a Sixth Schedule area. It’s time to stop this charade.
Yours etc.,
K Vallentine Wahlang ,
Shillong-2