SHILLONG, March 10: The state government has made it clear that it will take into account the sentiments of locals and, without getting everyone on board, will not go ahead with the proposed project to set up a garbage dump at Mawlwai village, around 60 km from the state capital.
Informing this, Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said that the proposed project will cater to both the districts of East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi.
Dhar was replying to Opposition Chief Whip George B Lyngdoh, who had asked the state government to keep on hold its proposal to set up a garbage dump at Mawlwai village.
Raising a call attention motion, Lyngdoh argued that locals are opposing the proposed project as neither the Urban Affairs department nor the Ri-Bhoi district administration informed about the government’s plans to acquire 200 acres of land for the landfill project.
Lyngdoh also suggested the government to select landfill sites in areas where water bodies, or for that matter, the populace are not affected.
Dhar, in his reply, assured that the government will not go ahead with the project without getting everyone on board.
Informing that solid waste management has emerged as a main challenge for the urban areas of Meghalaya, Dhar informed that the site at Mawlwai was found to be feasible after conduct of inspection.
Before that, he said, a task force committee was constituted and public notices were issued, following which 11 applications were received for setting up of the landfill.
Admitting to the public protest, he informed that public hearing was not conducted for acquiring land but for creating awareness on the project.
