Green-Tech Foundation (GTF) in Meghalaya which is committed to carry out a gargantuan task to restore waste-choked rivers, has extended its work by cleaning one of the major rivers of Shillong, the Wahumkhrah.
For over a week, the foundation has laid trash traps in the river and its team beginning today has started collecting floating litter including plastics.
GTF Chairman, H Bansiewdor Nonglang said the floating barrier and trash net have caught tonnes of trash. He said the team plans to lift the waste every month or week and install traps along the entire stretch to relieve the residents living downstream in Umiam, which for long bore the scars of massive pollution.
“We have to first target the solid waste that has choked the river. We will take over this project and lift the solid waste in our own capacity and if they stop our vehicles from lifting the waste we will see,” he added.
“We will not give up. We are done writing to the government on this matter and we will try our level best to solve this issue on our own,” Nonglang asserted.
He criticised the government for not taking the serious initiative to clean the Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers and that funds earmarked seems to have not shown results. However, he urged the citizens to join hands to revive the dying rivers in the state for the future generation.
It may be mentioned that Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi are among the top 45 most polluted rivers in the country.
For over a month now, the GTF is also working on rejuvenating the Nonbah and Nongdeiñ rivers in West Khasi Hills district. Tangible results have also started to emerge from the team’s effort as each household have now started to place trash cans.
“These are the steps that show that even the citizens of the villages across the Nongdeiñ River have started to support and agree to work together for the change,” the foundation said.
