Waste dumping imbroglio: Protestors dump garbage in front of DC's office in Jowai
Livid with the district administration for not collecting garbage from the market areas and households in Jowai for the past few weeks, the protesters dumped garbage at the DC's office entrance to express their resentment.
JOWAI:
At least 100 people from the Dorbar Shnong of Rympang Iawmusiang held a protest rally in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Jowai, West Jaintia Hills, against the "failure" of the government to address the garbage dumping issue in Amlarem, on Thursday.
Livid with the district administration for not collecting garbage from the market areas and households in Jowai for the past few weeks, the protesters dumped garbage at the DC's office entrance to express their resentment.
"We represent the collective voice of the people of Jowai and Jaintia Hills. From time to time, we have had discussions with the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) about the issue, but to no avail. This protest is to express our disappointment over the government’s silence on this issue," said one of the protestors.
Today's incident was a fall-out of the opposition raised by six villages in the Amlarem constituency against the dumping of garbage at the Mynkjai landfill site in the area. Following the initial protests by villagers, for weeks, the Jowai Municipal Board hasn’t picked up garbage from people's houses and marketplaces in Jowai town.
The protest was held a day after Home Minister and Amlarem MLA, Lahkmen Rymbui termed the Quit Notice issued by the Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong Jowai to the villagers of the said six villages as "unacceptable".
Recently, the Synjuk Ki Waheh Chnong Jowai in a notice has stated that residents from the six villages protesting against the issue, along with members of the KSU War Jaintia unit, and the Synjuk ki Waheh Chnong, War Jaintia, will not be allowed to enter Jowai. Reacting to notice, Rymbui called for a discussion to find a permanent solution to the imbroglio.
"I hope that the Urban Affairs Department and district administration locate a new area for setting up of a landfill site to dump garbage,” the Amlarem minister said, adding that the dumping of waste by the JMB at Mynkjai is against the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, environmental laws and also in contravention with the ruling of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Meanwhile, the people have demanded the Urban Affairs Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, provide an answer to this problem.
(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)
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