SHILLONG, Sep 19: Since August 2019, a group of concerned citizens and NGOs have been volunteering to clean the Umkaliar river which flows across several villages/localities such as Nongrah, Rynjah, Umpling, Nongmensong etc., giving three hours of their time every Saturday. Working under the banner of Operation Clean-up (OCU), they sought the assistance of the then Deputy Commissioner, Matsiewdor War Nongbri for support from the Shillong Municipality and PWD for trucks to cart the tonnes of garbage collected week after week and for a JCB to help clear the garbage embedded in the river bed.
Discussions were held with government officials and the volunteering group sought the help of the Urban Affairs Department to convene a meeting of the major stakeholders – the Rangbah Shnong of the above-named localities which was scheduled for March 2020. But COVID put paid to that initiative as a lockdown was imposed. The matter is now hanging fire.
The volunteers who came every Saturday to clean the Umkaliar noted with dismay that garbage continued to be dumped into the river with impunity. The Rangbah Shnong of the different localities through which this river flows also do not seem to think it their responsibility to conserve this river which is a life-giving element and supports the farmers downstream.
What’s worrying is the absence of any building regulations in Meghalaya – since that is an issue that no MLA would dare to rake up for fear of losing elections. Houses are built right next to the river and those residents use the river as their dumping yard.
This matter has been brought to the notice of AL Hek, the MLA of the area, which is being cleaned by these concerned citizens. Needless to say the issue of cleaning up rivers flowing through Shillong city such as the Umkhen, Umshyrpi, Umkhrah and Umkaliar require a long-term and sustainable plan which the Union Ministry of Water Resources would be willing to fund provided there are viable project proposals from the state government.
A meeting between the present DC, Isawanda Laloo and OCU was also held on getting the Dorbar Shnong aboard as they are responsible for ensuring a smooth garbage collection system in their respective localities but yet again the pandemic slowed down the efforts.
COVID restrictions have prevented the Operation Clean-Up team comprising in the main Team Jiva of the Jiva Hospitality group, Cleansmann, Bethany Society, Kiddies Corner School, Women’s College, KL Bajoria College, Martin Luther Christian University (Environmental Studies Department), MakeSomeoneSmile, Shillong Municipal Board and concerned individuals from undertaking cleaning drive from some months now.
On Saturday when Operation Clean-up decided to resume the cleaning drive they were appalled at the mound of garbage that had yet again collected at the Umkaliar. Members felt demotivated on seeing their efforts go in vain.
Bethany Society Director, Carmo Noronha who has been regularly attending the river cleaning drive compares the scenario in Police Bazar which in recent times has undergone a phenomenal transformation in terms of cleanliness levels to what is happening at Umkaliar. Noronha says, “In Police Bazar there is both leadership and a commitment from the shopkeepers and vendors to keep the place clean. As Police Bazar falls under the ambit of Shillong Municipality which has paid workers, there is accountability. The headmen and local business persons including hawkers join because they have to and also they know it improves business. In Umkaliar the primary stakeholders are missing. If those localities which come under their respective Blocks can use MGNREGA fund so that each family can demand jobs for cleaning and get paid we might see some change. If a footpath is a community asset which is supported why not the river? A combination of paid workers and volunteers maybe a way out,” Noronha points out.
Other members of OCU feel that the district administration ought to take the lead and put forward an action plan for setting up nets along the course of the river to trap the garbage within respective localities so that they become responsible for the garbage within their localities.
Says Priyankur Nandy of MakeSomeoneSmile, “It is sad and demotivating that after over two years of hard work and dedication to clean the Umkaliar, we have not seen any improvement. The government needs to lend its support to this citizen’s initiative.”
Jiwat Vaswani whose team of workers have been seen cleaning up the city and who has also thrown in his weight behind Operation Clean-up says, “It is high time to find a sustainable solution to reclaim our rivers otherwise a time will come when we will not have water to drink because we have killed this life-giving element of nature.”