Editor,
The Government of Meghalaya has made the Meghalaya Building By-Laws 2021 with an important clause on City Centre Zone (CCZ) which has been defined in the by-laws as “prime commercial zones in cities” and where government may notify such areas.
Effectively what is the idea of CCZs? If one were to Google, it means ‘a business and commercial core of the town containing higher density housing, retailing, administrative and financial offices, cultural, entertainment and government activity’. And so the government notified the following areas – Nongthymmai, Madanrting, Golf-links, New Shillong Township, Rynjah, Lapalang, Garikhana, Iew Mawlong, Demseiniong, Police Bazaar, Laitumkhrah, Laban and several other residential localities etc.
What is intriguing is that with all the above localities being declared as CCZs, it is baffling to understand the very concept of CCZ and the relevance of other clauses of the Meghalaya Building By-Laws 2021. One can understand those areas like Police Bazaar, Demseiniong and Laitumkhrah or certain other commercial areas being CCZs but to declare residential localities like Laban, Lapalang, Nongthymmai, etc. is simply mind boggling. Are they “prime commercial zones in Shillong”? What will happen to traffic congestion and other city infrastructure like water supply, electricity, parking, parks etc?
And then also, Golf-links and the entire new Shillong Township has been declared as a CCZ. What will happen to the golf course and its beauty when it will be sandwiched and surrounded between high rise buildings and skyscrapers? What will happen to greenery, drainage, sanitation and effluent discharge from the entire area? Can an entire township, New Shillong, be declared a City Centre Zone? How can the planners and architects of the Urban Affairs Department think of something like this? Are they out of their minds? Have they done a study, mapping and analyses of the problems and issues that will arise out of this stupidity?
Once people read this, they will become the laughing stock and talk of the town. Or, is it being dictated by the powers that be in the Secretariat and for that reason they prefer bureaucrats rather than a technocrat to head the department. Simply put, this requires the High Court of Meghalaya to intervene, a suo motu PIL filed and put a stop to all madness and bring to book all those concerned.
A R Nongsteng, S B Nongsiej, J P Kurkalang
Laitumkhrah
