SHILLONG: The third phase of the Shillong Times-led Operation Clean-up at Umkaliar saw a huge turnout on Saturday. Each time there is a heavy shower the river brings with it garbage of all kind from the upstream which also means that the residents along the river are dumping garbage into it.
While the Nongmynsong Dorbar Shnong is the end recipient of the garbage areas like Nongrah, Lapalang Rynjah and Umpling along which the river flows before entering the Umkhrah are polluting it relentlessly.
After the first two cleaning drives on August 8 and 17 the river has been released of tonnes of garbage which include clothes, blankets, cement bags and plastics, shows, slippers and what have you. But by the next cleaning driver on September 7, garbage had accumulated yet again.
The state government’s River Rejuvenation Plan in line with the State Water Policy would have to take this into account and create trash traps at every locality from where the garbage is to be cleaned up by the particular locality.
Students from Bethany Society, Roilang, Kiddies Corner, St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, North Eastern Hill University, Martin Luther Christian University, NGOs comprising City Hut Dhaba, Jiva, The Shillong Times team, MakeSomeoneSmile, The Green Signal, Green Volunteers Conclave, Nicholas Kharnami of Radio Mirchi, Shillong Times Platinum Jubilee Organising Committee and other concerned individuals from the Sindhi community gave their earnest labour for two solid hours and made the river clean and free flowing again.
This time the cleaning stretched to over a kilometre along the length of the Umkaliar River.
