SHILLONG, Aug 11: As dissent is fuelling among local leaders and common people over the dumping of garbage at Mynkjai in Amlarem, Jaintia Hills, Home Minister of the state and local MLA Lahkmen Rymbui, on Wednesday, expressed dissatisfaction even as he called for a permanent solution to the imbroglio by means of discussion.
The Amlarem legislator empathised with the general public, who, according to him, are facing hardships due to the current situation.
Talking about the decision of the Synjuk Ki Waheh Chnong Jowai to disallow 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, the minister said that this will not solve the problem.
“We need to deliberate to find a permanent solution by way of discussion. I hope that the Urban Affairs department and district administration would be able to locate a new area for setting up of the landfill site for dumping of garbage,” the MLA said.
He said that for the last three weeks the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) has not collected the garbage from people’s homes.
“The people of Jowai town should understand how the villagers of the six villages have to deal with the problem due to the dumping of garbage for the past 25 years,” he said
The Home Minister claimed that six villages had been opposing the dumping of garbage by the JMB at Mynkjai landfill site right since 1995-1996.
Talking to reporters, Rymbui informed them that the JMB earlier used to dump the garbage at Riatsasim which is only a kilometre away from Jowai.
He said that the waste dumping site was shifted from Riatsasim to Mynkjai, located near the PWD roads, during the 90s.
He also revealed that the six villages have been opposing the dumping of garbage by the municipal board at Mynkjai from the beginning.
The legislator said that the landfill site was shifted 200 kilometres further away from the previous landfill site due to strong opposition from the villages and the West Jaintia Student’s Union.
“People had great difficulties due to the dumping of garbage at Mynkjai landfill site since it falls in areas which are surrounded by the six villages,” the Home Minister said.
He added that an order had been issued by the deputy commissioner’s office in March this year stopping the JMB from dumping garbage at Mynkjai in light of the opposition by the Khasi Student’s Union and West Jaintia Student’s Union.
He recalled that during his tenure as the Forest and Environment Minister, he had convened a meeting after it was found that dumping of garbage by the JMB at Mynkjai was against the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, environmental laws and in contravention with the ruling of the National Green Tribunal.
