Editor,
The International Commission on Stratigraphy has named the present age of Earth as Meghalayan Age after Prof Ashish Sinha from the University of California collected bedrocks from Mawmluh cave in Meghalaya on which carbon dating was done. But the tragedy is that Mawmluh cave and other cave systems in Meghalaya are being systematically destroyed by mining. Prof Sinha has told a leading daily of North East that countries around the world protect caves just like National Park, Archeological sites, and historical monuments. These caves are a storehouse of scientific data and a diverse ecosystem. Caves could possibly provide a cure for diseases and advance research work.
Through this esteemed daily, I kindly request the Meghalaya Government to stop mining activities around caves and enforce laws to protect them. Only strict laws will protect the environment else greed will destroy everything and leave nothing for the future generation. Moreover, the Government should also respect the name of the current age else the future will know the Meghalayan Age as the age of destruction.
Yours etc.,
-Rishiraj Adhikary
Guwahati-6
Protecting the fragile heritage of Meghalaya
Editor,
It a matter of pride for the people of Meghalaya that geologists have divided up the Earth’s existence into slices of times and classified a distinct age in Earth’s history and they are calling it the MEGHALAYAN AGE. Nature has blessed Meghalaya with so many unique and special physical features different from rest of the world. To mention a few, the carnivorous pitcher plant also called Nepenthes Khasiana growing in East Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, the natural root bridges, Krem Puri the longest sand cave of the world discovered recently and now the Meghlayan age. We currently live in what is called the Holocene, which reflects everything that has happened over the past 11,700 years. Further the Holocene is subdivided into three parts, the Greenlandian running from 11700 to 8200 years ago, the Northgrippan running from 8200 to 4200 years and finally the youngest addition Meghalayan running from 4200 years ago to the present. A stalagmite from the Mawmluh Cave of Meghalaya has provided chemical signature as evidence for the beginning of Meghalayan age which began with a mega drought that devastated civilizationa across the world and whose effect lasted two centuries. Also the Krem Puri cave discovered recently and declared as the longest sand cave of the world measuring 24,583 meters contains fossils of giant carnivorous aquatic lizard Mosasurus is an asset for the tourism of Meghalaya . The Tourism Policy of Meghalaya should be such that these pristine caves which are fragile heritage should not be given easy access to tourists who need to pay just 20 rupees for the tickets to enjoy the beauty of these heritage caves and the natural root bridges which are unique features of Meghalaya. Some tourists, especially the youth unnecessarily crowd these places which are not economically beneficial for tourism or for the local vendors. With so many discoveries Meghalaya is drawing the attention of the scientific world, the paleontologists, zoologists etc will be on Meghalaya. So the Government should take corrective measures to protect the fragile heritage sites , the flora and fauna of Meghalaya without hampering the tourism industry of the State.
Yours etc.,
Anil Singh Roka,
Via email
Gross mismanagement in NEHU
Editor,
When a University denies justice to students and workers despite several appeals, the print media is the last option expected to address the issue by giving publicity to it. First of all, we are grateful to your esteemed daily, the Shillong Times, for your priceless service at our disposal for every genuine cause. The North Eastern Hill University takes pride in being the lone ‘Grade A’ central university which ranks 77th in position among all universities in India in the NIRF ranking, although its internal functioning and administration have remained in a sorry state. The sad story is that every time just before the arrival of NAAC or NIRF team, the University authorities and officials rush up to revamp/upgrade vital infrastructures but as soon as the team leaves the campus everything collapses. The authorities are least bothered about checking whether the upgraded infrastructures continues to function or even exists, until the next accreditation and assessment exercise arrives. Isn’t this sheer hypocrisy? Is it just to show the NAAC team that all is well so that the Varsity gets grade A? Or is to make better services available to the researchers in the University?
Our hostel, the Pahsyntiew, a female research scholar’s hostel has been deprived of WIFI facilities for long although it worked vibrantly during the NAAC team visit. We complained several times to the concerned authorities, but the complaints fell on deaf ears. Our water facility is also badly paralysed and we are struggling without adequate water. We seriously question the honesty of the concerned authorities in discharging their duties.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request
NEHU delays publication of merit list
Editor,
Normally any educational institution would publish the merit list of any final exam along with the results that it has conducted. We expect a university like NEHU to do the same like in the previous years. What surprised us is that even after one week of publishing the under graduate final results of 2015 batch, NEHU this time did not release the merit list of all the BSc, BA…final examination. The NEHU website mentioned on the July 13, 2018 that merit list for BSc will be announced after re-evaluation of results ! The question here is… What reevaluation is going on when the final results are already out and that too each and every student can check their own marks from the NEHU website? For BA results, nothing is mentioned about the merit list ! So students who have high hopes of seeing their names in the list of position holders after three years of hard work are deeply disappointed. Those students are kept in the dark and cannot even fill up their ranks in the NEHU application forms and had to leave it blank in the space meant for that purpose. Does this mean that their rank is not important? This is really total failure on the part of NEHU as it deprives those students of their rights to fill up their ranks in the admission forms. This is such a bad example set by such a renowned University and has really dampened the spirit of competitiveness in students. If ranking is not that important, then what is the point in motivating the students and inculcating in them the spirit of competition? We hope NEHU rectifies its faults soonest.
Yours etc
Concerned parents
Name withheld on request