By Our Special Correspondent
SHILLONG, Oct 28: Much has been said about allocating funds for the Wah Umkhrah riverfront project but so little is invested in ensuring that the tributaries of the Umkhrah remain pollution free and vibrant. Operation Clean-Up (OCU), a team of concerned citizens with a passion for the environment who came together in 2019, has been cleaning a particular stretch of the Wah Umkaliar, a tributary of the Wah Umkhrah. But their efforts are frustrated by those who treat the river as their garbage dump.
What is worse is that a private individual who claims ownership of the land around the Wah Umkaliar, which is a disputed piece of land, has been collecting money from vehicle owners/drivers who come to wash their vehicles in the river, thereby violating environmental laws such as Section 277 of the Indian Penal Code, presently the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
On Monday, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of KHADC, Pyniaid Sing Syiem, along with his team of inspectors from the Council, the members of the Dorbar Shnong Nongmynsong; the single member of the Umkaliar Dorbar Shnong, Sam Diengdoh and members of the OCU team met at the waterfront to discuss ways and means to stop the vehicle washing activity with immediate effect.
On asking the vehicle owners/drivers how much they pay for washing their vehicles, they said Rs 30 per vehicle. The claimant to the disputed land has set up a sort of gate with two men collecting money from every vehicle. Apart from breaking the law, since the land is under dispute between two claimants – the other being the Military Engineering Services (MES) — it is not understood how such blatant misuse of the law is allowed.
The High Court of Meghalaya had taken a serious note of river pollution in the state and the propensity of people to build houses/hotels etc., right on the river without allowing any buffer space. But the implementing agency for such rulings is the State Pollution Control Board which has been amiss on its responsibilities.
While the representatives of the Nongmynsong Dorbar came in full strength and were committed to work in tandem with the KHADC and OCU to ensure that pollution of the Umkaliar river is reduced and subsequently stopped, the Dorbar Shnong Umkaliar remains enigmatic as the members are hardly seen. The Dorbar is represented by one man only and his objective is to maintain the football field in the disputed area for which he has been granted permission by the Deputy Commissioner.
Addressing the gathering at the Umkaliar riverfront, the KHADC CEM said, “The Council would issue the necessary notifications to the concerned people to ensure that vehicle washing comes to a stop. We shall also assist the OCU in their attempt to construct a garbage trap across the Umkaliar River.”
Meanwhile, the OCU has also written to the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills to take necessary action to stop the wanton pollution of the Umkaliar river.
It may be mentioned that the OCU team has been cleaning the Wah Umkaliar twice a month since August 2019. The team includes Team Jiva, Col Shishupal Security Company, Kiddies Corner School, Martin Luther Christian University, Team Shubham, Meghalaya Home Guards and concerned individuals who have joined OCU to fight river pollution.