Cleanliness survey a wake-up call for us: Lyngdoh

From A Correspondent

Shillong, May 9: Meghalaya Urban Affairs Minister, Ronnie V Lyngdoh today said that the recent ranking of Shillong in the Swachh Survekshan-2017 should be a wake-up call for the stakeholders even as he said that if the survey was done by a government agency he will take it with a pinch of salt.

“It is a wake-up call for all of us that we should clean not only our homes but also the surroundings,” Lyngdoh told media persons.

The Urban Affairs Minister also stated that it would be prejudiced if the assessment was done by a government agency.

“If it is an independent body I will accept it. But if it comes from a government agency I will take it with a pinch of salt,” Lyngdoh said.

There are insinuations that the survey may be politically motivated since many of the Congress ruled states scored lowly in the survey.    

The survey was carried out by the Quality Council of India, an autonomous government body mandated by Ministry of Urban Development.  

The Urban Affairs Minister also said that it is not only the government which should be concerned over the ranking of the city but the citizens of Shillong themselves must involve in keeping it clean.

Lyngdoh recalled that as a kid in the 1970s he used to cross the Umkhrah river in Polo to watch football matches but said that nowadays the stream has become an eyesore.

He pointed out that in European cities like London and Prague rivers run through the heart of the city and not a speck of dirt can be seen since the citizens themselves do not litter the streets.

Coming to Shillong, he however said that citizens of the city often let out their septic tanks directly into the rivers.

Lyngdoh also said he accepted that the city is not clean but all should take responsibility for it.

“The government is taking this very seriously because everything is judged through the visual effects,” the Urban Affairs Minister said.