CM mulls joint project with Assam to generate power from garbage
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday admitted that the State Government has, over the years, failed to provide a ‘healing touch’ to Iewduh while dealing with the challenges faced by the people and the institutions administering the traditional market.
Speaking to reporters following the inspection, the first ever at Iewduh after serving the state for the second term as Chief Minister, Mukul said, “There are a few things we have come to know during the inspection. We will deal with those aspects, besides the challenges, like protruding pipelines that hinder walking comfortably in the market.”
Profusion of garbage is a major problem at Iewduh and the Chief Minister considered dealing with it as a challenging task for the administration. “We will sit with the Hima Mylliem and later with my cabinet colleagues to design a certain kind of investment to achieve the shared objective of making the market place the best,” he said, adding that a traditional market “is a sought after tourist destination”.
With garbage seen as the main problem of Iewduh, Mukul, while speaking to the general public at a brief function organised before the inspection began, said he had spoken to his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal on working together to generate power from garbage.
“Two state capitals (Shillong and Guwahati) will come together to find ways and means to generate power from garbage, known as biomass. Since the total amount of garbage produced in Shillong is 150-200 metric tonne, which is not enough to produce power, we spoke with the Assam CM to tackle the issue together to enable Shillong and Guwahati to produce biomass,” he said.
On his Thursday inspection, Mukul said, “It was an impromptu visit carried with the intention to engage the State Government with the Hima Mylliem and decide together to keep the pride and legacy of the traditional market.”
The State Government will support the Hima Mylliem in creating infrastructure and tackling the problem of garbage to make the traditional market a unique one and for this, resources will be pooled in from all sides, Mukul said.
The shopkeepers, farmers and traders at Iewduh were eager to have a glimpse of the Chief Minister as he inspected the traditional market on Thursday. He was accompanied by Urban Affairs Minister Ronnie Lyngdoh, Myntris and Syiem of the Hima Mylliem Ricky Nelson Syiem.
Mukul directed officials of various departments (agriculture, horticulture, industries and fishery, among others) to attend the inspection and work in tandem for the well-being of small-time traders and vendors.
Meanwhile, the CEM of KHADC, P.N Syiem, said he welcomed the visit of the Chief Minister and will look forward to the State Government and the Hima Mylliem working together to ameliorate the conditions at Iewduh.