Shillong, June 5: East Shillong local MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh has said that it is a futile battle to fight against modernisation and urbanisation.
While speaking during the World Environment celebration organised by the Seng Kynthei and Seng Samla of the Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun here on Wednesday, Lyngdoh, however, stressed that it is important for the people of Shillong to take care of the issues concerning the environment.
The programme was thematised on ‘Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience’.
According to her, there is an urgent need to protect the streams, rivers and water bodies in the neighbourhood.
The East Shillong MLA then went on to say that there are people who are silently working towards safeguard of the environment.
Lyngdoh further informed that the Nongrimbah Dorbar Shnong is relentlessly working to ensure that the rubbles flowing to Wah Sahniang are substantially reduced.
Suggesting people to act responsibly and avoid dumping bamboo and carry bags in the drain, the MLA recalled a recent incident of flooding, which she attributed to people dumping bamboo and carry bags in the drain.
“I remember when there was a flood, people were quick to blame the government,” Lyngdoh added.
Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) senior environmental engineer, Wanshan Kharkrang, who was also part of the programme, said that the United Nations this year, as part of the World Environment Day celebration, realised the importance of prioritising land.
He informed that the theme of this year’s World Environment Day celebrations stresses the need to restore land.
Highlighting the significance to understand the essence and importance of land and the requirement of restoring the same, Kharkrang said, “We may speak of cleaning the air, rivers and water bodies. But all these are pointless if we do not have land.”
Echoing similar concern, one of the Rangbah Shnong of Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun, Andrew said that the environment around us is deteriorating and people care very little about what is going on.
