Jowai residents adopt temporary steps to address garbage woes

SHILLONG, Oct 18: Residents of Jowai have adopted temporary measures to address the garbage problem as the identification of a new landfill site continues to hang fire.
Addressing media persons, Jowai MLA and NPP leader Wailadmiki Shylla said that the state government has kept in abeyance the identification of a new landfill site for Jowai town with Assembly elections around the corner.
“We know that people will try to politicise any issue. Therefore, we decided to keep this issue in abeyance,” Shylla said, adding that the identification process will resume once the situation is favourable.
He informed that they will try to engage Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), Forest and Environment department and other departments to convince people of the importance of having a landfill site.
He said opposition to the landfill site is not restricted to Jowai and the same has been witnessed in other parts of the state too.
The MLA also informed temporary measures are being adopted by people to resolve the garbage problem in Jowai.
“We are trying to resolve it temporarily. Now, we are trying to segregate the waste from the source and households. We will be segregating the waste even in the market area very soon,” he added.
Inauguration of hospital in Jowai
The MLA also informed that the appointment of staff for the much-awaited 100-bed Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Hospital at Jowai has been completed and a date for its inauguration is awaited.
“I am happy to inform that the appointment of all the staff is already done and the hospital will be inaugurated very soon. We are just waiting for the dates from our chief minister,” Shylla said.
It may be noted that the then Health Minister AL Hek had informed during the Assembly session in 2018 that the construction of the 100-bed MCH Hospital in Jowai has been completed and it will be made functional within a year.