Editor,
The recent destruction caused by heavy rains and flood in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal in Meghalaya and the loss of human lives is very unfortunate.
Most of the impact from these disasters is manmade. We are seeing the destruction of the environment in villages of our State. The digging and levelling of hills for sand and boulder mining weaken the soil and lead to landslides. Similarly, cutting down forests for charcoal has led to soil erosion and loss of greenery and natural habitat and result in increased temperature in many villages besides drying up of water sources.
In Shillong city, we have seen how a rainfall lasting for just one hour can cause flooding in roads and result in inconvenience to commuters. This is mainly due to lack of a proper drainage system in many areas of the city. Further, the clogging of drains by plastics and other wastes has added to the problem.
It is high time that people of Meghalaya wake up to the grim realities awaiting us in the coming years. Unless we put a stop to the ongoing havoc we are causing to Mother Nature, the future looks gloomy for all of us. We can’t blame the government alone for whatever happened. We are also responsible. Therefore, let us change our mindset and act now before Mother Nature reacts with fury.
Kyrmenlang Kharpuri
Shillong
