SHILLONG, Sep 8: It has been a sheer frustrating experience for an NGO, Operation Clean-up, which has been volunteering for the past few years to clean up the messy Wahumkhrah river.
Over the past few years each time the OCU volunteers returned after laboriously clearing up the mountains of the solid waste, only to find themselves back to square one.
The river wears a clean spruced up looks each time after the cleaning is completed. But this is a short-lived jubilation. The habitual disposal of wastes by the residents invariably makes the effort redundant.
On Saturday, the students and staff of IIM Shillong led by Prof Teidor Lyngdoh joined the cleaning drive. The enthusiastic batch of students took to cleaning the Umkaliar river teaming up with the rest of the youth from Kiddies Corner School who have been part of the cleaning drive since it first started; Team Shubham, Col Shishupal Security Company (CSSC), Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) and the force behind OCU – Team Jiva Cares, led by hotelier Jiwat Vaswani.
Individuals with a deep concern for the environment, particularly the state of the two rivers -Umkhrah and Umshyrpi have joined OCU with the hope of making a difference. But has their work had any impact?
Team leader, Patricia Mukhim feels that the Umkaliar has become a dumping ground for all kinds of garbage but mainly clothes and jackets, pants, blankets, cement bags, diapers, used menstrual pads and kitchen waste. It is common to find syringes, broken alcohol bottles and therefore getting into the river without gum boots and gloves is fraught.
Since the Umkaliar flows over several localities, OCU has teamed up with Meghalaya Institute of Governance led by Aiban Swer to have discussions with 12-15 Rangbah Shnong of Greater Nongthymmai area beginning from Madanrting to Nongrah, Lapalang, Umpling, Rynjah, and Nongrim Hills, among others.
The Nongmensong and Umkaliar Dorbar are also being included in this attempt to bring about a collaborative action plan where each Dorbar Shnong will be
responsible to (a) prevent dumping of garbage in the river (b) to ensure that the garbage that lands in the river within their jurisdiction is picked up. To do this an action plan is being chalked out by the Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG) to create meshes across the river at the place where it borders another shnong. This will ensure shnong-wise accountability which is critical at this juncture.
The need for this action plan has also arisen after it was found that all the garbage from the Umkhrah and Umshyrpi land up at Umiam Lake.
This correspondent spoke to members of the OCU to find out if they are not disillusioned by the fact that they see no difference at Umkaliar when they have been consistently cleaning it for five years. Students of Kiddies Corner who have been toiling on this River say, “This has happened because adults have failed to be responsible citizens and don’t have any conscience about dumping garbage in the river.”
Jiwat Vaswani and Team Jiva are also among the first to join OCU. When asked why he is with OCU, Vaswani said, “OCU is a group of like-minded people with a firm belief that they should do something for the environment especially in and around Shillong and I believe that we should work on that mission. It’s true that we sometimes feel discouraged to see the River Umkaliar in the same state every time we come to clean it even if we had left it spick and span two weeks ago but we have to keep trying. I am sure we will succeed one day and the Umkaliar will be sparkling clean.”
Pushpa Bajaj who heads the social organisation Shubham Charitable Association joined OCU because she is concerned with the fact that disposable menstrual pads are found in the river. Shubham has since then been training women starting from rural East Khasi Hills and reaching out to other districts as well to stitch reusable menstrual pads which are hygienic and absorbent and can be washed and stored. They are also reasonably priced.
Shubham has been demonstrating the advantages of using these washable pads in schools and universities.
Kiddies Corner Principal, Brian Wahlang says that more schools should join in cleaning up rivers and their immediate surroundings.
What is of concern for the OCU members is the complete lack of supervision by the Dorbar Shnong Umkaliar on the activities surrounding the River. When this correspondent visited the area on Saturday it was found that sand mining and removing boulders from the river bed had become a thriving business.
Despite the OCU members’ repeated call to the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board to stop car washing on the Umkaliar River, it is going on in full swing with no action taken on violators.
Worse, there are buildings being built right on the River Umkaliar. OCU members wonder how the District Council can give building permissions to people who violate the building norms. Unless these violators are fined and their constructions demolished things will only get worse. OCU members point to the Meghalaya High Court order which does not allow any building within 50 metres of the high water mark of any water body.
An OCU member said, “The Meghalaya High Court order is blatantly violated and the Dorbar Shnong show no responsibility to prevent this from happening. Unless the Dorbar Shnong takes responsibility for conservation of water bodies, violations will ensure that water bodies will all become septic tanks and eventually Meghalaya will not have enough drinking water sources.”
OCU also feels that the Meghalaya High Court should take serious note of the building violations and the sand and boulder mining from the rivers.