TURA: Tura police on Friday opened an investigation into the vandalism of temporary housing quarters at the site of a crematorium under construction at Samshan Ghat by a group of people last Monday.
The attackers had barged into the site, below Nakham Bazar of Tura town in broad daylight, where an eco-friendly chimney was being constructed by the state Forest and Environment department for the Samshan Committee and after allegedly threatening workers to cease
work went on to dismantle the bamboo structures erected to house the workers.
The attack was widely condemned by many citizens of the town including leaders of various communities.
“We have received an FIR and case has been registered today. The Investigating Officer has endorsed the case,” said West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police M G Raghavendra Kumar while speaking to The Shillong Times.
The police complaint was reportedly filed by the Range Officer of the Social Forestry which is tasked with the construction of the environmental friendly crematorium chimney at the Samshan Ghat.
The group behind the vandalism had allegedly objected to the ongoing construction of the eco-friendly chimney over fears that smoke from the burning of corpses would affect the nearby inhabited areas.
Those who perpetrated the vandalism had reportedly demanded from the construction workers documents to prove they had obtained environmental clearance for the ongoing work. According to police, the under construction chimney was not damaged in the attack except for the bamboo housing quarters.
Meanwhile, a senior member of the Samshan Ghat Committee who did not wish to be quoted said that the incident occurred due to misunderstanding and the damage had led to a substantial rise in the expenditure of the ongoing project.
“Some of the people residing near the Samshan were apprehensive that the upcoming structure would lead to pollution which was not true. In fact this will be the most eco-friendly structure with no traces of any polluting agent,” said the executive member.
He acknowledged that there had been fear and apprehension after the incident but tension had since fallen as the Samshan Ghat committee awaits a call from the district administration for talks with the opposing group to settle the matter amicably.
MLA condemns vandalism
South Tura MLA John Leslee K Sangma condemned the vandalism committed by miscreants at Tura crematorium in an attempt to obstruct the programme of the government to provide eco-friendly crematorium to the people.
Stating that such acts would create misunderstanding between two communities which would affect the students studying outside, Sangma urged authorities to take steps to book the culprits in the interest of peace between both communities.
