Editor,
The palm oil plantations have proved to be not only a major disadvantage for biodiversity, but also for women farmers as it has led to gender inequality as well as reducing their roles in farming. The voice of discontent began when the Central government decided to promote palm oil plantations extensively in North Eastern states of India and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The production of palm oil trees needs a lot of physical strength and force due to which it is considered to be a man’s business. Hence, it discourages women from taking part in the cultivation. Women are instead assigned jobs like roasting the palm tree fruits that need to be done inside closed doors and on gas stoves. But this continuous exposure to smog and flames adversely impacts their health.
Another setback for women farmers has been the loss of their ownership rights in their own farms. Earlier, in shifting or jhum cultivation, women used to have a decisive say in choice of crops but with the onset of palm oil cultivation, many big companies have taken over the land or ownership rights have been assigned to the senior most member of the family, usually a male member.
The North Eastern region has the largest number of working women farmers and with all the crippling problems of palm oil cultivation many women farmers may lose their jobs permanently. In fact, the women in Mizoram have already been facing these issues for a long time.
The purpose of this letter is to highlight the social and gender inequity and inequality that cultivation of palm oil will bring in its wake. Along with deforestation there will be reduction in bird population, water scarcity etc. State governments of the North East should act cautiously and not disturb the socio-economy and rich biodiversity of the region.
Yours etc.,
Ritika Das
Guwahati
The garbage dilemma!
Editor,
With the Covid pandemonium being somewhat under control, what if the MDA starts to focus on improving the quality of life of the citizens of the State. What better place to start than other essential services called the Solid Waste Management System? According to the Constitution of India, Solid Waste Management is a part of public health and sanitation and falls within the purview of the State list. It is the primary responsibility of the state government and the Urban Affairs Department to ensure that appropriate Solid Waste Management practices are introduced and practiced, whether in Shillong or in Jowai. Recently, we witnessed headlines after headlines with regards to the piling up of garbage in and around these two major towns in Meghalaya. Open uncontrolled dumping is still the most common method of solid waste disposal that we see around us today. Lately, a renowned RJ is voluntarily giving himself towards this cause in highlighting a number of indiscriminate throwing of garbage in and around Shillong city. Most recently, the Seng Samla Mawlai Pyllun locked the gates at Marten and stopped the garbage trucks from entering the landfill site after the Urban Affairs Minister failed to inspect the area, as promised by him to the student’s body earlier.
The garbage issue in Shillong though, is not something new. It’s been simmering for decades and has dragged on from one generation to another. The garbage that is dumped at Marten has been operational since 1938 is not limited only to the Shillong municipal areas but includes six urban centres comprising Shillong Cantonment, Mawlai, Nongthymmai, Pynthorumkhrah, Madanrting and Nongmynsong, which covers a total area of 174 sq km and that accounts to 3, 31,373 population (2001 census), which is 14.35% of the state. Calculate that number 20 years ahead and it’s a nightmare. In a sense, 14% of the state’s populace use Marten to dump their wastes regularly and with the absence of a weighbridge, we don’t have any data to show the quantity of waste being transported to the landfill. In this entire dilemma, it is the urban poor, often the peri-urban area of Mawlai that has to bear the brunt of this deficiency in solid waste management which is fast becoming life- threatening for the residents in and around Marten landfill.
Governments have come and gone but not one of them has made any headway in solving this most aggravating issue facing us today. It is encouraging to see most recently a cabinet minister writing on a “forest first” approach to fighting climate change, but as local citizens it is a sordid tale for us to even think that we haven’t been able to come up with anything concrete to solve the garbage issue that is as equally threatening to the environment, if not more.
Identifying an alternate landfill site is only a temporary solution; what about a permanent one? But rest assured, even the alternate landfill will not be finalised before the next state elections comes beckoning again.
What about a more viable master plan prepared by the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur in 1991, which had then suggested biogas generation as a treatment option? Besides, this suggestion also entails revenue generation for the state by way of biogas supply for cooking and electricity generation. We may have had financial constraints then, but isn’t the same still a more viable option today? An organic compost plant that was set up and started operations since 2002 has not shown any satisfactory result, simply because of inadequate waste supply and the quality of solid waste going to the compost plant not being in conformity with the required design parameters, besides other problems like collection and transportation facilities etc.
The Clean Shillong campaign initiated by the Government was a good initiative, with the action plan of involving Dorbars and communities in SWM. It certainly has brought some difference at the source in garbage collection, but is that enough? It is high time that the urban electorate in Shillong start making SWM an election issue and thereby an elaborate solid waste management system becomes part of the political parties’ manifesto.
Overall, the financial status of SMB is weak and the State Government has not given enough attention to this matter. With a rapid population growth in Shillong, which in turn results in increased human activities that contribute towards a larger quantum of daily wastes, this issue will not go away anytime soon, unless the present dispensation decides to take the “bull by the horns.” Let us not forget we will be celebrating Meghalaya’s 50th statehood day on January 21st next year. We hope we will not be welcoming our guests with the foul smell emanating from Marten landfill then.
Yours etc.,
Lawrence Pherliam Sumer,
Via email