With no solution in sight to the garbage crisis in Jowai a prominent citizen and president Seinraij Jowai, OR Shallam today penned an open letter to the Prime Minister to intervene and rescue the citizens from the garbage “endemic.”
The letter was written amidst the 36-hour locality lockdown called by Tympang Iawmusiang dorbar, joined by other dorbars to protest against the inability of the government to end the crisis for months now.
Shallam informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how Jowai is being “deprived and discriminated” of its rights to have a permanent garbage dumping ground as per scientific methods and how the state government do not seriously take up the matter. He said whenever a suitable location was spotted and identified as temporary site for dumping the garbage; there are strong objection and opposition by the local villages.
“Various petitions and suggestions are being sent to the State government by many bodies and even citizens but till date the garbage from Jowai has been left and dumped in its streets for the last three months,” he said.
Stating that the residents have lost faith on the state government and have experienced bitter discrimination as it has failed to strongly and seriously address this disastrous issue, Shallam in the letter urged the PM to intervene and address the tragic issues faced by Jowai and to “rescue us from the garbage endemic and deliver justice and equity to the town in the truest meaning of democracy.”
Meanwhile, the locality lockdown which began at 6 am today will continue till 6 pm tomorrow. All shops remained closed while vehicles remained largely off roads except ambulances, health personnel, milk vans, newspapers and media persons.
Although some government offices were open, there was no attendance. Educational institutions remained shut.
The garbage which is the focal point of angst were seen loaded and covered in trucks of the Jowai Municipal Board while those in the Thomas Jones road were covered with plastic sheets at the site as the district Administration has failed to acquire a landfill site for the purpose.
