SHILLONG/JOWAI, Aug 10: In what can be called a garbage crisis the residents of Jowai have been piling up the garbage inside their campus for one whole month.
As a result the residents had to bear the stench emanating from the rotting garbage and this is posing a serious concern to their health.
People are facing this hardship since the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) has stopped collection of garbage after the Behdienkhlam festival due to protests over the dumping of garbage at Mynkjai landfill site, which is about 11 kilometers away from Jowai.
Prominent citizens of Jowai town are furious over the failure to resolve this crisis and are accusing the government for failing to put in place a policy on solid waste management.
Sein Raij Jowai president, OR Challam said it is unfortunate that the state will be celebrating its 50th year of statehood next year but nothing has been done to address this issue of garbage dumping and solid waste management.
Challam said the problem of landfill sites is not a new one and is also not restricted only to Jowai since even Shillong city and Tura town are facing the same problems.
Challam stated that the JMB existed as far back as 1995 but with no specific roles designed for the functionaries.
He said that the local Durbars within the town’s suburb opposed the establishment of the Board but the then MLA insisted on setting up the JMB despite the reservations expressed by the residents. According to him, till date the Board has collected the waste from different localities and in turn was being paid with a service fee.
Challam stated that, the present local MLA of Jowai, Wailadmiki Shylla talks of grand plans of establishing a Mini Secretariat here in Jowai, upgradation of Jowai town into a smart town as well as completion of the much pending Iawmusiang project.
“It would be better for all concerned if the public representative focuses on development of the much needed waste treatment plant prior to hallucinating on other ‘Out of Reach’ pilot projects,” Challam said.
The Sein Raij Jowai president also said it is ironic that the 5 or 6 villages that are totally opposed to the disposal of waste at the present Mynkjai dumping site are also the ones that make their living at Iawmusiang market, Jowai.
He questioned whether the villagers of the six villages would not have any problem if they were prevented from making their living in Jowai for a week or so.
Referring to the Deed of Agreement being signed by the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and the JMB on August 1 2017, Challam stated that the agreement clearly states that it will remain in force for 20 (twenty) years from the date of execution of the agreement and which may be extended subjected to the fulfilment of the terms and conditions by the second party.
“Sadly, in a short span of 4 (four years), the town has to face this crisis,” Challam said.
He urged the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to intervene and personally look into the matter at the earliest before things get out of hand.
Noted environmentalist, HH Mohrmen said that the blame should first go to the Urban Affairs department for not putting in place a proper system for waste management.
Pointing out that this is not a new issue, he also recalled that the government has come up with the Solid Waste Management Act, 2016.
He said that there will be opposition again from the people even if the government decides to move to another area since it is still going to be a landfill dumping site.
“The government plans a new system of dumping the waste which will not have a negative impact on the residents staying near the dumping ground,” Mohrmen said. He suggested that the government should explore new scientific technologies available on how to recycle the garbage.
“We have new technologies which can recycle the garbage and also help to generate employment. Sadly the Urban Affairs department is falling back into the old system,” Mohrmen said.
According to him, the problem relating to the landfill site is there even in Shillong and Tura.
He said that people who are opposing have legitimate grounds since the dumping of garbage is not being done in a proper manner.
Mohrmen also said that the bulk of the garbage which is being dumped at Mynkjai landfill site are by the JMB and Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC).
Mohrmen also observed that people would be ready to listen to the Government had adopted a more participatory approach.
“I think the Urban Affairs Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar should take a lead in trying to bring a permanent solution to this problem which is not restricted to Jowai,” Mohrmen concluded.
Jowai headmen protest
The Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong, Jowai (SWCJ) has declared a non-cooperation movement against the government and the District Administration for failing to resolve the garbage issue in the West Jaintia Hills district headquarter.
Hundreds of residents on Tuesday took to the streets at Iawmusiang and Iaw-thymme with placards in protest against the administration’s failure to resolve the waste dumping issue after residents of nearby villages objected to dumping of garbage at the present landfill site at Mynkjai.
“We have been working closely with the government particularly with the District Administration on several issues, particularly in containing the spread of COVID-19, but now we have decided to stop cooperating with the District administration,” said SWCJ President, Alan Niangti.
SWCJ also decided to boycott the Independence Day celebration if the district administration fails to remove all garbage from Jowai before August 15. The Independence Day boycott will be followed by a public rally on August 17, they said.
The Synjuk also decided not to allow any residents from the six villages protesting against dumping of garbage at Mynkjai, members of the KSU War Jaintia unit and the Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong, War Jaintia, to come to Jowai.
“We will not allow them to come to Jowai as they don’t understand our problem,” SWCJ Secretary Riquoma Laloo said while speaking to media persons here.
