Continuing with their tireless and near thankless endeavour, Green Tech Foundation (GTF), which is committed to trying to restore the state’s waste-choked rivers, yesterday pulled out tonnes of trash from a stretch of the Wahumkhrah River near Seng Khasi School between Jaiaw and Mawlai.
Speaking to Highland Post, GTF chairman H Bansiewdor Nonglang expressed delight that in yesterday’s activity many groups and the Dorbar Shnong came forward to support them in this herculean task of cleaning the heavily polluted river that runs through the city.
“We cannot deny the fact that in this stretch of the river the major source that contributes to the pollution comes from Polo, Demseiñiong, Umsohsun, etc and it will take several years to clean the river provided all join hands and understand the importance of not polluting it,” Nonglang said.
The Wahumkhrah trial project began on March 3 and this is the second time that GTF has cleaned stretches of the river. The cleaning model follows that employed by the foundation in other water bodies of the state.
The Wahumkhrah is one of two major rivers that flows through the city and its once pristine waters have been destroyed by rampant waste disposal – both solid and liquid – straight into the river. Nonglang warned that if the river’s health is not restored, grave danger awaits the Umiam River downstream and the people of Ri-Bhoi.
“We are happy to see that people have started understanding the importance of making efforts and joining hands to try and clean our river system even though it will take time,” he said. “We urge the state government to immediately constitute a committee under a nodal officer to lead a team to look at the wellbeing of the Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi,” which are some of the most polluted rivers in India, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Crores of rupees have been sanctioned by different arms of the government to try and arrest the slide in river quality but little progress has been seen on the ground.
“In 2019 an amount of Rs 19 lakh was sanctioned by the government to clean the stretch at Polo. In 2013 the KHADC (Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council) via the 13th Finance Commission spent Rs 50 Lakh and then in 2016 the KHADC spent another Rs 1.25 crore for cleaning of these two rivers in Shillong,” Nongland said.
An RTI he obtained in November 2021 shows that more than Rs 52 crore has been earmarked for the river cleaning project and more than Rs 21 crore has been sanctioned and tenders floated but nothing much has been reflected in the field.
Just this year the Chief Minister launched a programme amounting to Rs 39 crore for riverfront development of the Wahumkhrah but Nonglang expressed doubt that this will also bear fruit if it is not seriously monitored and strict rules put in place.
For over a month now, the GTF has been working on rejuvenating the Nonbah and Nongdeiñ rivers in West Khasi Hills. Tangible results have also started to emerge from the team’s effort as each household has now started to use trash cans in order to properly dispose of their waste.
