SHILLONG: Sohra MLA Gavin M. Mylliem said on Friday family planning is an important factor for combating population growth.
The issue of family planning is relevant in Meghalaya, a Christian-dominated state where people believe children are god’s gift and hence refrain from birth control.
“Population growth is occurring due to our ignorance and greed is one of the main factors for destruction of the environment… As humans, we keep on producing offspring without taking into account whether we are able to provide our children with basic needs such as education, healthcare and this gives rise to poverty, rendering a bleak future for our children,” said the MLA who pointed out that early marriage is the main reason for broken families.
Mylliem appealed to the youth to delay marriage though the legal marriage age for male is 21 years and female 18 years.
“It is necessary for one to be financially stable before starting a family,” he said while speaking on the sidelines of the World Population Day.
The World Population Day is being observed by the state government for over a month comprising mobilisation fortnight from June 27 to July 10 and population stabilisation fortnight from July 11 to 24.
The observation of World Population Day and Stabilisation Fortnight 2018 under the theme ‘Bright future begins with welfare of a family’ was organised by the office of the District Medical and Health Officer, East Khasi Hills, at Mawkdok Community Hall on Friday. The MLA expressed happiness over the efforts taken by the government through the DHMO to stabilise the population at a level consistent with the requirement of national economy.
Earlier, delivering the keynote address, District MCH Officer Dr JB Ranee reported that currently the rate of population growth of the world is 83-84 million per year.
In 2014, the population of East Khasi Hills was 8 lakh and by 2018 it has increased drastically to 10 lakh.
A rally was taken out by school students, ASHAs and staff of various health centres. Prize distribution was also conducted where the chief guest gave away prizes to winners of extempore speeches and posters presentation competition.