Patricia Mukhim
Having been a journalist trained to look at governments with a critical eye, one soon gets into a zone where one sees nothing good coming out of the government except stories of scams, and self-gratification among the political class and ineptitude, inefficiencies, needless delays and frustrating encounters from a bureaucracy which couldn’t care less if we are all headed to hell. But within each of these systems, there are individuals that respond positively and it is critical that we identify these individuals and work with them. And yes, if one were only churning out articles from some comfort zone then one can afford to be cynical and continue to toss up more hateful stuff. But that’s not how things work. Journalists too are citizens and are affected by poor governance even as they are benefitted by a system that is responsive and pro-active.
The Shillong Times is making humble efforts to team up with different schools, colleges, universities and well-intentioned groups and individuals, and more importantly the State Government (District Administration East Khasi Hills, Shillong Municipal Board, PWD, Police Department) and the KHADC in an attempt to clean up the two main rivers – The Umkhrah and Umshyrpi which flow through this city and also their tributaries. Two phases of the clean-up have been completed at the Umkaliar which flows to the Umkhrah, where mountains of garbage were removed from the River. For a while now several groups of young people with concern for the environment have been cleaning up public spaces such as Golf Links and other tourist spots but without the cooperation of Government agencies such as the Shillong Municipal Board and the District Administration and without the active participation of the Dorbar Shnong, such cleaning drives become futile. The Dorbar Shnong is a key stakeholder because it can ban single use plastics and water bottles in their respective shnong and enforce strict regulations against littering. The Dorbar Shnong can also urge residents to become vigilant against litterers and that they clean up their localities once a week.
The Wah Umkhrah originates at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level from a spring located in the Shillong Peak range near Demthring. At the point of origin the river supplies water to residents of Nongthymmai area. But human habitations now affect the quality of the river water right at the site of its origin. Unregulated stone and sand quarrying have impacted the flow and quality of the water. Private land owners are now tapping ground water near the source of the river at Demthring and this water is sold via tankers to city dwellers. This has reduced the flow of water into the river particularly during the dry season. From Demthring, the river flows as a stream through the foothills of Nongthymmai and Rynjah. Near Lapalang bridge, the river is joined by the Phud Raimut and the Phud Mawshbuit flowing from the eastern part of the catchment which is primarily under the Military Cantonment at Happy Valley and its surrounding villages. Thus, while flowing through densely populated urban areas, the river is joined by streams carrying runoffs from the nearby urban areas. After Umpling bridge, the River flows through a steep gorge which ultimately ends at the Kshaid Umkaliar (Spread Eagle Falls), near the office of the Garrison Engineer, MES, Shillong. At the foot of the falls, another stream, Wah Kdait flowing from the rural outskirts of Shillong, joins the river. From this point onwards, i.e. from Umkaliar, the river flows through a plain area. (https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/5332/8/08_chapter%203.pdf).
The Dorbar Shnong through which the tributaries flow into the Wah Umkhrah comprise Nongthymmai, Nongrah, Lapalang, Umpling, Nongmynsong and Demseiniong on the upper reaches and Riatsamthiah, Wahingdoh, Jaiaw, Mawlai along the lower reaches. Similarly the Wah Umshyrpi flows through Lumparing, Laban, Rilbong etc., before it reaches the Umiam. Its tributaries include the Wah Dienglieng, Dhankheti, Malki and Umjasai stream. Considering that both the Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi are joined by several tributaries flowing through various localities under different Dorbar Shnong it is now incumbent upon these Dorbars to take on the responsibility of devising mechanisms to trap solid waste in their localities so that such waste does not land up at Umkhrah or Umshyrpi and finally at Umiam.
Government must pass strict regulations prohibiting washing of vehicles by the side of these rivers since all the grease then flow into the Wah Umkhrah and Umshyrpi. Also it is incumbent upon the Government to penalise all residents that discharge their septic tanks into the two Rivers. This is a criminal offence and should be treated as such. But cooperation from all stakeholders and mainly the Government and KHADC is imperative.
In an article titled, “Why Cooperation is Key for Development,” the writer Elisabeth Rochford, says, “Locals commonly know best what is needed for their own communities, and local experience is a powerful tool and motivator. Local people are often expert guides in their own culture, environment, geography and society. However, strong state support and international resources can also be crucial to bolstering locals who may be lacking in capacity to act on their own. Through a combined effort from both communities and bigger organisations in setting up and maintaining development projects, the initiative can benefit from the varied expertise of all involved.” This is what Shillong City must strive at.
Cooperation also means that resources are better utilised in ways that are relevant and targeted to local needs. This avoids misinformed ideas from outside where good intentions can miss the point and fail to address the real social problems.
Local participation works because locals have influence in their community and can help promote development initiatives through informal local networks with greater success. Besides, cooperation promotes a sense of bonhomie, inclusiveness and equity. This is the best way to bring about social harmony and a common sense of purpose towards a common objective. In fact this is what creates social capital. This cooperation empowers local communities to be involved in governance and decision-making and in seeking accountability from those that hold power and control resources. Local participation also encourages self-reliance and enables people to break free of control by political processes and from being exploited through unequal power relationships with the state or local MLAs/MDCs. This, in fact, is the first step towards building the capacities of local communities to hold accountable the institutions and initiatives that affect their lives.
This society and community are a web of networks. When we meet over common projects a bond is created and we begin to think of the larger good. It is my experience that there are many well-intentioned people in the city of Shillong. What they need is a platform to speak from and to act. Very often these common social platforms are absent because most groups are located around ethnicities and ethnic loyalties. A progressive society that seeks to work for the larger common good cannot comprise of just one ethnic community. A city is not made of one community only. Every individual wants to play his/her part in the world, no matter how small that part is and it is important to create that platform which will bring out the best in people.
In Shillong we don’t have platforms for societal conversations where we can share our concerns and each other’s pain. This is the first step towards creating societal bonding which in turn can become the catalyst for civic action. Sometimes we rue the fact that people in this city lack the spirit of voluntarism; that they don’t want to give of their time and energy. Perhaps it’s time to work backwards. Most educational institutions lay too much stress on the curriculum and don’t encourage voluntarism for fear that students will miss out on their classes. This is such a wrong premise. Students that are involved in community work at a young age tend to be better achievers in later life. They learn many more social skills that come handy in their adult lives. One hopes that the educational institutions of this city rethink their priorities.
The State Government and its agencies need to use this social capital in achieving its long term goal of River Rejuvenation and Swacch Bharat. The KHADC too must pool in its resources.
And to all those bleeding hearts that express their concern about the dirt and filth of Shillong through long-winded articles, the time to write is over. Now it’s time for ACTION. Join the Operation Clean-Up!