The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has sought the support of the World Bank to come up with a permanent solution to address the problem of solid waste management in the five districts under the council’s jurisdiction.
According to the KHADC chief Pyniaid Sing Syiem, the council will soon submit a detailed plan of action to implement its solid waste management programme for necessary funding by the World Bank.
A meeting in this regard was held between the KHADC and the officials of the World Bank on Monday.
“We have requested the World Bank for its assistance right from creating awareness to setting up of the resource recovering centres (RRCs) which will help in the proper management of waste at the village level up to the district level,” Pyniaid told reporters.
“The aim is to come up with a permanent solution in regards to solid wastes. We don’t want to clean garbage from our villages and then dump and pollute other places,” he said.
The CEM informed that the World Bank has requested the KHADC to speed up the process and said, “The World Bank has already allotted the funds. Therefore, we have to be clear and submit our detailed plan of action on how to implement the solid waste management programme of the council within this month.”
In view of this, Pyniaid said that the council has decided to work together with the traditional institutions for organizing awareness programme at the villages right up to the hima an district council level to sensitize people on how to manage their waste to ensure they don’t affect the environment including rivers and water bodies. The awareness programmes will also be organized at the various schools and colleges and market places.
Further, he informed that the council has also decided to identify a few more locations for implementation of the pilot projects by setting up of RRCs.
At present, RRC is being set up only in Mawlai Mawroh where wastes collected from the households of the locality are being brought and segregated accordingly. The RCC will facilitate the sale of recycled wastes and fertilizers made from biodegradable wastes.
“If we are successful in implementing the pilot project at the RRC it will lessen the burden on Marten (dumping ground) as very less wastes will go to there,” he added.
The CEM said that the council will soon regulate the fees charged for garbage collection and come up the penalty clauses against haphazard dumping of waste across the region adding “this will ensure protection of rivers and catchment areas’ ‘. He said Wahumkhrah and Umshyrpi are examples of water bodies being polluted due to such unregulated dumping of waste.
“The new executive committee will also request the World Bank for setting up a waste processing plant. This will take time,” he said.
When asked about the opposition against the government’s move to acquire land for setting up of landfill, the council’s chief however said, “The government if it is not clear why it requires the land, who will be willing to give land.”
Meanwhile, the KHADC and World Bank will conduct a site visit to Wah Umkhen, Umpling, Pynthorumkhrah, RRC Mawlai Mawroh and Marten on Tuesday.
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