Editor,
The road in Mawlai which is very busy and important and which starts from the Petrol Pump-Stanley Roy Show Room to the junction at Mawroh, FCI Godown is in a very bad shape. The road is uneven, dented, damaged and water is logging at certain stretches. This road is always in a poor condition as against the daily heavy traffic 24/7, burdened on its fragility. Poor and sub-standard repairs done by the PWD after laying of cables and pipes by the concerned departments have added to the damage of this road.
Through this esteemed daily, I just want to bring this matter to the attention of the Mawlai Town Dorbar and our representatives, MLA and MDC who are always pro-active and the Department concerned to consider this very important road on a priority basis for the overall benefit and convenience of everyone.
Yours etc.,
Reward Rymbai,
Via email
CM building castles in the air
Editor
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in his budget speech announced that the state would introduce 100 mini buses to cater to the school going children of the city. This plan was put forward to the public when Mr B. Dhar was the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills District, and also the Chairman of RTA. And the plan was stalled when the parents of the children rejected it outright. This time too, we hope it would be no different.
About the electric bus, the idea is next to impossible with the current power scenario, unless the Government can generate extra power source of 67.5 Kw for one bus. But how are electric buses possible, when Meghalaya is currently power starved? I am sure the CM is well informed about the power crisis in our state and with the above statistical power calculation, he would think twice or thrice before building castles in the air. I wonder why the CM did not take the trouble to consult our MeECL engineers.
When Nitin Gadkari, the Union Transport Minister planned to make all vehicles electrically run by 2024, two persons of a renowned company came to Shillong from Delhi and Bombay to study the feasibility of such a plan. They stayed for three days and sensing that there’s constant load shedding and power rationing, with old power lines entangled one above the other, they simply gave up and left Shillong. The lesson here is “Look before you leap.”
Yours etc.,
C. Lyngdoh Mawnai
Shillong 14.
Too late for lifeboats
Editor,
Apropos of the letter, “Has the lifeboat arrived too late?” by Toki Blah (ST Mar 10, 2022) the answer is yes. We no longer need the lifeboat. The MCCL built in 1966 is now almost dead after it was left orphaned by politicians and bureaucrats with no farsightedness. In place of the MCCL the Congress-led Government of Meghalaya set up 11 cement plants by going against all norms of and managing to get through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Forest Acts. This has laid waste the west end of the Khaddoom range. In contrast, Lafarge, the International mining company that follows all environmental norms and gives a substantial part of its earnings for the well-being of the people is allowed mining under strict monitoring by the Supreme Court.
A final nail in the coffin was hammered by the then Union Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Prakash Javedekar in connivance with the MDA Government when they gave clearance to Star Cement to expand their mining into another 8.2 Km into the eco-sensitive zone of Narpuh reserve forest. What else can the people of Lumshnong expect? Like the Adivasis and Dalits, the tribes here too live in constant fear of eviction by merchants of greed. Lumshnong is a skeleton village whose air and water are polluted. Add to that the noise pollution coming from loudspeakers howling at drivers till 3 AM. Next on the list of environmental devastation would be Brishyrnot when Star Cement explores limestone in an eco-sensitive zone.
The Lukha river is dead. Its blue colour was investigated by Mukul Chattopadhyay, senior scientist of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2017. The report proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the river turns blue after it receives the Lunar river that carries all the human and industrial waste of the cement plants.
At the COP 26 in Glasgow, the philanthropist Bill Gates had donated 5 billion $ to COP. This money is intended reduce industrial pollution and electricity guzzling cement plants through the green premium outlay which would enhance the price of a product to 70% more. One bag of cement currently costs Rs 400. With the green premium added it would cost around Rs 680. Paying Rs 280 extra is compensation for lives saved.
On climate change, if we see what has become of Narpuh then the change is irreversible. This is why the UN Chief, Antonio Guterres in his opening speech at the COP in Glasgow said “We are digging our own graves.” And buying time till 2070 which means 40 years more to clamp mercury rise by 1.5 degrees against the wish of all countries sounds too much of an asking.
As far as Meghalaya is concerned boats needs not arrive anymore. We are already doomed.
Yours etc.,
FC Suchiang
Lumshnong
Jaintia Hills