The MDA Government cannot be accused of not engaging with the issue of waste management. The Government has given a patient hearing several times to the heads of traditional institutions and other concerned citizens and sought their cooperation in tackling the grotesque sight of the Rivers Umkhrah and Umshyrpi both on their death throes for a number of reasons. Strict discipline is not presently maintained as far as waste collection beyond the Shillong Municipal areas are concerned. Timings are uncertain and so are the number of vehicles available. Add to that the resistance of the areas beyond the Shillong Municipal Corporation to come under its jurisdiction and the stranglehold on those areas by the Autonomous District Councils, which have no resources to deal with waste.
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council came up with the Solid Waste Management Act in 2020 but what about the liquid wastes draining from people’s homes and their propensity to drain their septic tanks directly into the rivers. Merely coming with an Act is not going to change things on the ground. The ADCs were created for a specific purpose related to protection of customary practices and tradition. They don’t have the capacity nor resources for development work, which in any case is the brief of the government. In recent times the ADCs have managed to get some garbage carrying trucks through World Bank funding. But the Councils have not been helpful insofar as acquiring land for a solid waste landfill is concerned. Everywhere people are unwilling to give land for a landfill hence for Shillong, Marten is the only available space. But Marten is dealing with waste dating back to 1928. Now a firm is contracted to deal with this legacy waste which will free up a lot of space at Marten.
The MDA Government’s plans to circumvent the hurdles of having multiple waste management agencies by bringing in one single Integrated Waste Management Agency to cover the entire Shillong right up to the New Shillong Township is expected to be the game changer. This Agency would function professionally and effectively and would have the competence to adhere to strict pick-up schedules including waste segregation at the household level which is currently blatantly violated despite households having been given the blue and green containers for wet and dry waste. One thing has to be said about housing plans. Why can’t the building plans include enough space for wet kitchen waste? Why should everything be brought to the landfill? And why can solid waste composting not be democratised and different Dorbars ceding space for this process? Citizens have become far too dependent on Government for everything while simply sitting back and watching the same Government deal with the problem which is largely created by citizens. Some civic responsibility lies with the people too and it is high time the Government learns to tell people this home truth.
