JOWAI: The Clean Green Jowai Campaign on Friday organised a one-day workshop to identify the causes that make the Ïawmusiang market dirty and also to elicit solutions or remedies to deal with the issue.
Apart from the market managed by the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), the premier market of Jaiñtia Hills comprises of three other private markets which are managed by different institutions. Besides, the area is also under the realm of the Dorbar Shnong of Tympang Ïawmusiang and there is also the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) and MUDA which look after the welfare of the town.
Many efforts to clean Ïawmusiang in the past by the District Administration in collaboration with the Dorbar Shnong Tympang Ïawmusiang and other stakeholders on October 2 every year and with the Seiñ Raid, Jowai — prior to every Behdieñkhlam — have not borne fruit because of various reasons.
It was against such backdrop that the workshop with all the stakeholders, including the district administration, JMB, different market managements like Sein Raid Jowai, Presbyterian Church Jowai, Church of North India Jowai, the JHADC, police and traders’ associations was organised at the Thomas Jones college Hall, Ïawmusiang, Jowai.
The first session dwelt on ascertaining causes which prevent the different stakeholders from keeping Ïawmusiang clean while the second heard remedial measures or ways and means to overcome the problems.
The participants were divided into groups and the discussion was able to identify causes or reasons which contribute in making Ïawmusiang dirty. In the second session, the groups came up with solutions or remedial measures. (See chart)
It may be mentioned that the initiative was started as part of the platinum jubilee celebration of The Shillong Times which is currently engaged in the Cleanup Shillong Campaign.
Some residents of Jowai town had earlier met in the presence of Managing Director Manas Chaudhuri and Editor Patricia Mukhim of The Shillong Times and decided to launch a similar campaign in Jowai.
It was decided to call the campaign a ‘Clean Green Jowai Campaign’ with two goals: to make Ïawmusiang the main market area of Jowai clean and to ensure that river Myntdu is clean.
Friday’s workshop is the first endeavour towards ensuring that cleanliness of Ïawmusiang is sustained and the next step is to come up with an action plan to achieve the goal.
CAUSES
# Shortage of waste collection points in the area
# Lack of civic sense among people, shopkeepers, vehicles and taxi drivers
# Absence of vending zones for hawkers and street vendors
# Lack of cooperation between the Jowai Municipal Board and the people
# Absence of proper mechanism with regard to disposing liquid waste, non-collection of waste on Sunday
# Ïawmusiang becoming a dumping place for the entire town
# Failure of the market management to maintain cleanliness
# Disposing garbage after the garbage truck has left
# Accumulation of garbage on Saturday evening
# Street dog menace
SOLUTIONS
# Creating awareness
# Punishment for littering
# Make stakeholders responsible for the waste generated
# Punish buyers from street vendors
# Improve waste collection by ensuring segregation at source and collection of bio and non-biodegradable waste on different days of the week
# Installation of CCTV at strategic locations
# Increase number of waste dumping places
# Increase strength of JMB staff and machinery
# Shift street vendors to the under-construction JHADC market
# Restaurants and hotels to install effluent treatment plants and proper drainage
# Implement Waste Rules 2016
# Increase timing for collection of waste
# Introduce volunteers-like street angels