Editor,
My congratulations to Achik Youth Council AYC) who woke up to the occasion, coming out with evidences on sand banking in Garo Hills . It is a horrific sight. This is not a new thing; it has been going on for past several years. I have seen the scenario right from Meena Bazar to Haldiganj where there are over 100 such stone and sand quarries. But the pertinent question is, who gave them the permission and who is responsible for this devastation of beautiful Garo Hills? Is District Administration & Divisional Forest Officer not aware of this environmental degradation? My memory goes back to late seventies when as one passes through the area one can see the whole hill covered with white cotton flowers. Those days Garo Hills Cotton Ginning Mill, Phulbari used to purchase and sell cotton to Japan (being one of the best cotton in India). Meghalaya cotton won gold medal on all India level in 1979, Today, it is an altogether different story. It is sad that even while having eyes we prefer to be blind most of the time and adopt a “None of our business” attitude, little realizing that we are allowing a handful of people for their self interest to destroy our treasure, pride, ecology and environment.
Don’t we realize that ecology and environment are going to hunt us down in the near future? It is true that all these years we have been disturbing the “environment” in the name of so called development. It is now turn for the environment to disturb us. Today, world leaders are truly worried about the environment and ecosystem. Meghalaya is a land where everything is possible. We have departments but no policy to implement, no power to act upon. Thank God the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rightfully stopped coal mining. In this case if the concerned department does not act on the sand and stone quarrying then should it not be brought to the notice of the NGT? I fail to understand why we the Deputy Commissioner and his staff, the Divisional Forest Officer, Mining Department in the district when they cannot take action against rampant destruction of nature. Why are they mute spectators, washing their hands off responsibilities. Who they are protecting and whose interests are they working for? This is high time for the Garos to protect the land that they belong to. If we are not going to protect our land than who will? It is high time that we get into action for tomorrow may be too late. My humble request to my fellow Garos and all the genuine inhabitants of the land is to voice our concern and make the Government wake up and take action.
Yours etc.,
Dev Areng,
Via email