Will Umiam Dam Ever Be Pollution Free?

* Wastes flow to Dongrla on the rise

* Call to free clogged Umkhrah and Umshyrpi streams from plastic and garbage

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Umiam dam which generates power for Meghalaya is polluted with garbage from Shillong city. The garbage, especially plastic wastes, flows from the two streams of the city — Umkhrah and Umshyrpi — into Dongrla (river Rising) which is about 5 km from the Shillong-Guwahati Road. Wastes like footwear, medicine bottles, and plastic bottles have spoiled the scenic beauty of the place surrounded by rolling hills.

The flow of plastic wastes is especially acute during the rainy season. On the other hand, many residents living near the area like Mawlai Nongpathaw and Mawlai Mawiong make a living from the garbage by collecting the plastic wastes.

“Around 2,000 residents from these three localities make a living by picking the plastic wastes apart from earning a living through fishing,” Phlasson Kharpan, an elderly resident living in the area said.

“Earlier we used to get enough fishes but now we hardly get a kilo a day,” Kharpran said.

“However, the accumulation of plastics and other garbage in this place has become a headache for us since we cannot collect fish anymore. The river has become so dirty that fishes cannot survive here anymore,” he added.

Kharpran reflected that during his younger days water from the river could be used for drinking purpose but now one cannot even think of setting foot in this river. Stating that his village Mawdun is a clean place, he and alleged that plastic wastes flow from Shillong into this particular river. “,” Kharpran said.

He also expressed concern that despite the many number of times that the authorities have come to this place to conduct awareness programmes to clean the mess, nothing fruitful has been done as yet. “How can one expect to clean up the place when all the filth flows from the city?” he posed adding, “The situation is even worse when the rain stops and water starts to recede.”

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