SHILLONG, May 25: Operation Clean-Up (OCU) which started in 2019 has been cleaning the river Umkaliar which is a tributary of the Wah Umkhrah river.
The Umkaliar flows through Lapalang, Nongrah, Rynjah, Umpling and Nongmensong before it enter the Umkhrah. The reason why the OCU decided to concentrate on the Umkaliar is to prevent garbage from entering the Umkhrah.
OCU comprises groups and concerned individuals. Groups include Jiva Cares, Shubham Charitable Organisation, Col Shishupal Security Company (CSSC), KC Secondary School, IIM Shillong, Martin Luther Christian University. Recently St Edmund’s School has also joined.
Members from the Meghalaya Home Guards have also been lending their unstinting support. What is disheartening is that while the river is being cleaned twice a month, there is no visible difference.
Team leader, Patricia Mukhim says the reason is because the Dorbar Shnong does not care enough to keep a vigil and ensure that their residents don’t throw garbage into the river. Mukhim feels that the Dorbar Shnongs have not been able to prevent people from building their homes on the river by violating all building rules.
“Rivers have become septic tanks as people release their latrines directly into them and their appears to no law strong enough to deter such violators,” Mukhim stated, adding that the Dorbar Shnong of Nongmensong is unable to even stop car washing right in the middle of the river.
On Saturday, when the OCU team arrived at the Umkaliar they found loads of clothes discarded by people which include pants, shirts, jackets, blankets etc. After a bout of heavy rains all the garbage is carried to the Umkaliar from its different tributaries. Since 2019, OCU must have removed at least about 100 tonnes of garbage or more.
Assistance is provided by the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills through the Shillong Municipal Board which send their men and trucks to cart the garbage to Marten.
Hotelier Jiwat Vaswani who has a team he calls Jiva Cares who regularly maintain cleanliness in and around Police Bazar apart from looking after the flowers planted right from the Customs Office down to GS Road and also the trees alongside the old State Assembly building and at many other places says, “Shillong is our home; it has given us so much but what are we leaving behind for our next generation? Rivers that have tuned into drains and garbage everywhere shows we don’t care enough. Let’s join hands and transform this city.”
Brian Wallang, Principal of KC Secondary School, whose students work with rare dedication each time they come for river cleaning, feels that more schools and young people with followers on Instagram should join the river cleaning drive and take charge of the Wah Umkhrah at different points.
Recently the government had convened a meeting to take strong measures to prevent river pollution. Amongst many initiatives that need to be taken one measure is to put up CCTV cameras at vantage points near the rivers and to impose heavy penalty on polluters and also naming and shaming them.
The important question is why are the Dorbar Shnong unable to enforce their diktat on residents who pollute the rivers at different points?
