Meghalaya HC directs Govt, JHADC to come up with remedy on Jowai garbage issue

“The State administration and the District Council should meet at the highest level in course of the day to try and suggest an immediate remedy so that the garbage can be collected and Jowai town cleaned, if only to ensure that major diseases do not break out, particularly water-borne diseases since it has been raining continuously for the past several days. It is hoped that the matter receives the urgent attention at the highest quarters,” the court said while hearing a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai on Wednesday.

The court also observed that the State of Meghalaya, as in most other cases, washes its hands off and says that it had no role to play in civic affairs.

“It is somewhat disturbing that there is a serious menace of garbage piling up in one of the major towns in the State, something that may lead to disease and disaster, and the State administration seeks only to play the fiddle,” it said.

The court has also directed that the Khasi Students’ Union of Moopyut village along with the headmen of Moopyut village and the six other villages be added as parties.

This came after the Jowai Municipal Board (JMB) in its application filed before the court had indicated that in March, 2021, an NGO by the name of Khasi Students’ Union of Moopyut village along with six other villages – Pynthor Langtein, Umsalang, Shhen Pyrsit, Moopyut Madan Tyrpait, Moosakhia and Sohmynting – attempted to close the dumping site at Mynkjai.

“Though an agreement was entered into for temporary dumping at the site for three months, since no alternative dumping site has been identified by the task force constituted by the Urban Affairs Department of the State along with the Jowai Municipal Board, the collection of garbage has altogether come to a standstill,” the board said.

During the hearing, the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council claims that it has not received a copy of the petition.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the District Council to cause copies of this order and copies of the petition to be served on the added parties, preferably, in course of the day with the intimation that the matter will appear on April 22.

By Our Reporter