By H H Mohrmen
A staff of our organization – SURE – who has to cross Iawmusiang daily to reach our office reported that he saw non-local people taking selfies of the accumulated garbage with the DC’s office, Jowai right behind as the backdrop. My response to him was, “Don’t worry, Jowai is famous now and the heap of garbage collected is becoming our new tourist attraction.”
The most embarrassing situation
Jokes apart, it is also true that many of the town’s folks were embarrassed by the fact that the Jowai Municipal Board which does not seem to have a solution to the problem went to dump their waste almost everywhere. They were embarrassed because there were (and rightly so) protests from the neigbouring communities every time the waste is dumped in their areas. The town’s waste has literarily become a proverbial ping-pong ball which is being kicked from one place to another. For the Jowaites it is not a pleasant situation to be in when you wake up in the morning and the first thing that people discuss is about the garbage that has accumulated in different locations of the town. Much to the embarrassment of the locals, the garbage has been a much talked about issue in the entire state
From the floor of the house to the judiciary
It is also true that the issue of garbage disposal has become a matter of grave concern which has troubled the people of the town for more than a year now. The matter was even debated in the Meghalaya Assembly but to no avail. When even the government of the day has failed them, the people of the town have no other option but to approach the Meghalaya High Court to decide on the matter. People have only the court to look up to for the much needed relief over the issue which has troubled them for so long. Hopefully the issue which has been kicked around will be finally resolved.
When the town is left orphaned even by its own government
Fifty years ago Jowai was one of the major towns of the state because it was one of the headquarters of the three original districts when the state was created. But sadly the town was neglected by the government of the day and those before it. It is apparent from the order of the Meghalaya High Court dated April 20, 2022 in the case of Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong versus the State of Meghalaya that the Government of Meghalaya has, like the biblical Pilate washed its hand over the issue. Taking a leaf out of the Court’s order, it says ‘the state of Meghalaya as in most cases washes its hands off and says that it has no role to play in the civic affairs.’ It saddened the people of the town that their very own government has abandoned the town. When the government washes its hand over the issue, it means that the MLA and the entire state machinery have abandoned the town and its citizens.
History of Jowai Municipal Board in a Nutshell
Can the state government really wash its hands over the issue and abandon the people of Jowai? It may be mentioned that the process of upgrading Jowai Municipal Board from Jowai Town Committee under the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council to Jowai Municipal Board started in 1991 vide notification of the Council dated No. JHAD/TCA/EL/7/91//37 dt 21.12. 1991. No objection of the upgradation of the town from the Town Committee to the Municipal Board was conveyed to the Government vide District’s Council letter No. JHADC/TCA/PT/1/94/2 dated 29.4.1994. The Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council in its session held on April 6, 1995 passed a resolution and resolved to hand over the Jowai Town Committee to the State Government for constitution of the Municipal Board. Later on the government, vide its notification No. UAM.188/92/58 dt March 20, 1995 constituted the Jowai Municipal Board with its own boundaries.
Later on a memorandum of agreement was signed between the state government and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jowai Municipal Board was established with effect from November 4, 1995 under government notification No. UAM.103/95/7 ‘A’ dt 27 October 1995. The question therefore is how can the Government wash its hands over the matter when Jowai Municipal Board is it own baby and was established by the state government?
With elections only few months away from now, the question that begs the answer is how will the political parties which are part of the coalition government justify the MDA stand on the issue? How will the NPP, the UDP, the PDF or the HSPDP campaign for their respective candidates when they themselves have abandoned the people at the time when they needed them the most. By washing its hand over the issue the MDA not only left the people high and dry but also leaves the people with no other option but to take the matter in their own hands.
Jowai’s problem today will be some other towns’ problem tomorrow
By washing its hand over the issue, the state government not only cowardly ran away to avoid the problem, but it voluntarily denies itself the opportunity to learn lessons on waste management. The pertinent issue now is how we will solve this growing menace. The truth is people will continue to generate waste and in the future the garbage problem is going to be a major issue in every town and city and developing urban areas in the state. It would have been a learning opportunity for the MDA government if it would have taken the bull by its horn and also learn how to solve this very important problem.
Abandoned coal pits a viable alternative for dumping of waste
They say necessity is the mother of invention and the idea of making use of the un-used coal pits as an alternative place to dump the garbage was explored. This scribe has taken the initiative to dump waste in the abandoned coal mines. But on a further consultation with experts like Prof B.K. Tiwari and Rathindra Roy via social media it was found that it is not prudent to do so. The idea of using coal pits as an alternative place to dump garbage should be put into practice only after proper study is being conducted. It was learned that dumping garbage can have many adverse effects on the water bodies both surface and underground water. The pit excavated horizontally at the bottom end of the vertical cutting can lead to other river bodies as the case of Ksan mishap has demonstrated. It may be reminded that even after trying to pump out the water from the pit for many months, the navy was not able to empty the mine.
From the dirtiest to the cleanest town
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step says the Chinese adage. The people of Jowai ought to wake up and think anew. With the state government leaving the people on their own, they need to find out ways and means to make their town clean and maintain its cleanliness. Can Jowai change from the dirtiest to the cleanest town in the state? Can Jowai become a zero waste town? Only the people of Jowai can answer the question.
The challenges that Jowaites face with the waste they generate and particularly the opposition to the dumping of the same, must also be a lesson for other towns and cities in the state. Even villages should start coming up with ideas of how to manage the waste they produce. The only way to manage waste generated from household or commercial establishments is by segregation. Segregation is the crux of the effort to manage waste.
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