M’laya Climate Emergency Framework
SHILLONG, Aug 28: The Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) on Wednesday cast aspersions on the review of Meghalaya Climate Emergency and Green Growth Framework, and dubbed the process as secretive and lacking transparency.
The review was conducted by the Meghalaya State Council on Climate Change and Sustainable Development under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Demanding extensive pre-legislative consultations that involve all stakeholders, particularly district councils and traditional institutions, the TUR also called for strict implementation of environmental laws, transparency in disclosures, and public audits on the status of all environmental projects in the state to date.
“This news points to the secretive, non transparent nature of law-making in Meghalaya. Climate change and green growth cannot be addressed by laws and policies that are consultant-driven, top-down and devoid of pre-legislative consultation,” said TUR, referring to the review chaired by the chief minister.
The TUR then went on to accuse the state government of using the global climate crisis as an excuse to conceal ongoing environmental destruction in Meghalaya.
It highlighted the state’s real emergency issues, such as illegal coal mining, indiscriminate hill cutting, deforestation, unregulated extraction of minor minerals like stone and sand, land alienation and the privatisation of common resources.
The TUR also questioned the progress of the 1.5 million tree plantation project announced by the chief minister on World Environment Day in 2019, demanding transparency and accountability for the resources spent on it.
“He needs to be held accountable and be answerable to the status of that project five years on. There has to be transparency and accountability on the public resources spent not only in monetary terms but the deployment of governmental manpower and time towards this,” said TUR.
Furthermore, the TUR criticised the state government’s failure to oppose the Forest Conservation Act, which, it added, threatens tribal rights to forests.
“The state government needs to adhere to Sixth Schedule provisions of ensuring that the jurisdiction of district councils and traditional institutions on land and forests is not trampled upon,” it said.
Demanding a pre-legislative consultative process for any proposed laws, including any ‘climate emergency law’, the TUR stated that any proposed policy or law needs to urgently address real issues in Meghalaya that are contributing to rapid environmental degradation.
The TUR also pointed out the government’s alleged failure to implement existing environmental laws, such as the Air and Water Acts and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act, leading to unregulated operations of coke and cement factories, particularly in the Lumshnong area, which have jeopardised the health and lives of the locals there.