The Dorbar Shnong of Umshangling village has officially decided to allow the resumption of waste disposal from Nongpoh town at the Umshangling dumping site following a joint inspection and meeting held today at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
This decision came after an on-site inspection led by Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, Ri-Bhoi DC Abhilash Baranwal, representatives from the Urban Affairs Department, Nongpoh Town Committee and leaders of Umshangling. The inspection revealed that the waste site posed significant health hazards to residents, prompting urgent discussions.
Subsequently, the Dorbar Shnong agreed to reopen the site for waste dumping, conditional upon the fulfilment of 14 specific demands submitted by the village. These conditions are aimed at addressing long-standing health, environmental and infrastructure concerns caused by the mismanagement of waste disposal in the area.
For the past five days, waste collection in Nongpoh town was severely affected due to a complete halt in dumping activities at the Umshangling site, following a closure imposed by the village.
Speaking to the media, Syiem stated that the village’s decision to reopen the site came after commitments were made to address the key demands. He assured that both he as public representative and the DC’s office, along with other stakeholders, will work to address the village’s concerns.
A monitoring committee, to be headed by Baranwal, will be set up to ensure proper regulation of waste disposal activities, thereby safeguarding public health and ensuring compliance with best practices.
Syiem further stressed the urgency of treating this issue seriously, noting that while not all demands can be met immediately, priority will be given to the most pressing ones.
Meanwhile, Umshangling village secretary Vincent Sohkhwai confirmed that the village council, following today’s discussions, has resolved to allow waste disposal to resume. However, the reopening is conditional on immediate steps being taken to clean the existing scattered waste, improve the access road leading to the dumping site and to appoint two personnel to manage and monitor the entry gate to ensure regulated and hygienic dumping.
He added that the village has long endured foul smells and unregulated dumping, and this renewed cooperation must now lead to sustainable and community-friendly waste management.
