Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has warned the citizenry of the devastating effects of climate change which is no longer “theoretical or abstract but for real.” It’s intuitive to know that in recent times when Shillong experiences heavy rainfall, Sohra remains dry with only the fog and mist covering the landscape but very little rainfall. That Shillong – a hill station known for its balmy weather is now another hot and humid city hovering between 27-30 degrees centigrade is enough evidence that climate is changing even while the people of Meghalaya seem indifferent to this change other than complaining about the rising heat. Most rivers flowing towards the Umiam Lake no longer flow with the same intensity owing to deficient rainfall. The reasons are not far to seek. Rapid deforestation for construction purposes; for extractive mining of limestone, boulders and sand for export to Bangladesh and for keeping the timber factories running at full steam is what is denuding the forests of Meghalaya. The rivers too are not in their natural state of health except when they are beyond the human habitations, deep inside the forests
The fact that mining activities are also happening in and around the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve as was recently reported demands stern action from the State Forest Department and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. All the important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the Nokrek Range, of which the river Simsang known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent. How can coal mining even be contemplated around this sensitive biosphere? Where are the guardians of the environment namely the traditional institutions and the autonomous district councils? Are they not vested with the mandate to conserve and not trade off every conceivable natural resource inherited from the ancestors?
Meghalaya’s problem is its multi-layered governance system each one doing what it chooses to without any accountability. Add to that an indifferent public that will not raise its voice except when the problem hits too close for comfort. This public indifference is what emboldens the marauders of forests and community land. At the risk of being repetitive, the only way to salvage what’s left of our land and forests is for the state to carry out a cadastral survey, so that it is established once and for all who owns how much land and whether community owned land still exists – where such lands are located and their extent. It should not be difficult to do that now with modern technology. If the state government resists this step for whatever reason then the public must demand the cadastral survey. This will indicate very clearly the number of landless people in Meghalaya and why they were not allocated community land or whether they have been forced to sell or mortgage their land. The very purpose of governance is to ensure equity not to exacerbate poverty and landlessness. Public discussions around this issue are imperative. Climate Change will unfortunately hit the marginalised and the poor the hardest!
