In the face of challenges that Jowai is experiencing to tackle the menace of garbage sans a dumping ground, the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) took upon its stride to educate leaders of the dorbar shnongs by taking them for a field visit to the waste recovery centre situated at Umpling in Shillong.
Chairman of the board, LD Lakiang led the visit that included the president of the Synjuk Ki Waheh Chnong Jowai, Alan Niangty, waheh chnong of Tymang Iawmusiang, Ajoy Lywait, Chaniah Huwa of Tyndo Wapung, Job Kawlni of Seven Day Adventist University, engineers of the board and others.
During their visit the waheh shnong were introduced to the waste recovery centre on how it functions and operates.
Capacity building specialist of the urban affairs, Wompher Shadap informed that Umpling locality with a population of 2300 generates up to five tons of garbage per day. He said out of this 40 per cent are bio-degradable waste, 15 per cent reusable waste and 35 per cent are recyclable.
Shadap informed that the centre, managed by the Umpling dorbar shnong, at present segregates the waste where bio-degradable waste is converted into compost using indigenous methods and the recyclables are sorted and sold.
Banbhalang Diegdoh, a youth from Umpling who operates the centre demonstrated on how wastes are converted to compost using lacto acid bacteria, indigenous microorganism, fish-amino acid, oriental herbal nutrient, fermented plant juice, bamboo vinegar and others natural process of decomposition of organic matter.
Meanwhile, Lakiang was optimistic that the field visit has generated awareness and hoped that the village leaders would carry back the knowledge they gained to the people.
Meanwhile, Society for Urban Rural Empowerment (SURE) secretary HH Mohrmen informed that the organisation in collaboration with the Young Minds Collective are in touch with the Saahas Zero Waste, a non-profit organization working in the field of waste management in Bangalore to extend its support and expertise in finding solutions to the garbage problem in Jowai.
