SHILLONG: A public meeting on the “Impact of climate change on indigenous communities” organised by North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) held at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Mawkhar, Shillong was attended by only a handful of people on Thursday.
The day also coincides with the fourth anniversary of late Hopingstone Lyngdoh Nonglait, a veteran politician from the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), with no prominent persons of the HSPDP members present.
At the commencement of the meeting, respects were paid to the lifelong contribution of Hopingstone who was a former MDC, MLA, MP, EM, CEM, Deputy CM, clan leader, church Elder.
PBM Basaiawmoit from North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) recalled that Hopingstone is a hill state chief volunteer whose single minded determination continued till Meghalaya became a full-fledged State in 1972 and his opposition to uranium mining since 1992.
Seeing very thin attendance at the meeting, assistant publicity secretary, Khasi Students Union (KSU) O. Marbaniang, said, “It seems that people are ready to forget the contribution made by this leader (late Hopingstone) to the Hynniewtrep community. He was the man instrumental in the demand for statehood and he voiced his opposition to uranium, yet all of this is forgotten.”
One minute of silence was observed as a mark of respect for the departed soul with a prayer offered by Pastor P. B. Syngkli.
On the other hand, he said that the KSU has always opposed uranium mining and has filed a PIL in 1996 in the Supreme Court on deforestation. Stating that there is a need to preserve the environment by bringing sustainable development, he said that the state government should implement the State Action Plan on Climate Change.
Effect of nuclear energy
A meeting was held at Khasi National Durbar Hall, Mawkhar, Shillong wherein the participants decided that nuclear energy is not clean and cheap. The meeting urged that the Union government should review its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
They pointed out that nuclear energy leaves behind tails of radon gas through radiation which contributes to health hazards by way of radiation pollution in the atmosphere, land/soil and water and all these are faced by indigenous communities where atomic minerals are found but neglected and marginalized without any succor for relief either short termed and permanently for generations.
Referring to hazards caused by dams, particularly, mega dams contribute, the meeting concluded that dams lead to loss of biodiversity, changing weather patterns thereby loss of traditional and sustainable livelihood, internally displaced persons as land is submerged and thereby brings out many complications, irreparable damage particularly, accentuates in seismic prone areas like the North East through human induced climate change, human induced flash floods and many other irrevocable side effects.
The participants maintained that harnessing of solar and wind energies should be exploited to the fullest extent, however, they argued that the state government is yet to accelerate its pace of harnessing comparing to other States and as per funds made available by the Union Government.
They pointed out that streets can be lighted using solar panels both in urban and rural areas, municipal and non-municipal zones, etc. and also putting solar panels in all Govt. establishments, beginning with Raj Bhavan and so on to every district, Civil Subdivision, C&R D Block offices, etc.
Plastic use
The participants stated that using and throwing off plastics must be stopped, including throwing out from inside moving vehicles, that the respective State Pollution Control Boards and Transport Departments must ensure that moving vehicles, particularly, trucks/lorries stop emitting petrol and/diesel fumes thereby not only increasing but accelerating air pollution into the atmosphere.
Rivers and streams must not be treated as sewage dumping grounds but instead, each locality must make it a mission to clean up rivers and streams forthwith, particularly, those coexisting with such rivers and streams, they added.
