TURA: The largest river on the Western front of Garo Hills- the mighty Jinjiram, which snakes its way through Tikrikilla, Phulbari and Rajabala, occasionally merging with Assam’s Brahmaputra during the monsoon floods, is facing an existential threat due to pollution being dumped into it by multiple illegal industries and factories that operate all along its banks on the Phulbari front.
Peeved with the absence of any crackdown against these illegal industries by the authorities in West Garo Hills district, a delegation of student leaders from Phulbari Garo Students Union, led by its president Francewell Marak, has called on Meghalaya State Level Public Grievances Committee Chairman, Pongseng R Marak, to highlight this burning problem and seek an early solution by clamping down on illegal industries.
“We visited various sites where these illegal factories are operating without following the basic guidelines of the government of India. Some of these factories are draining out waste and polluted sewage into the open source of the river. There is also dumping of the industrial waste on the road side and burning of fossil fuels like coal without following any pollution emissions guidelines by these illegal factory operators,” complained the GSU to the Public Grievances Committee.
They have expressed worry that since the Jinjiram river is the lifeline for the people who depend on it as a water source and for livelihood such as fishing, the release of the toxic waste into the river will destroy the aquatic life and make it unfit for human use.
The students union is calling for a complete dismantling of the illegal factories to safeguard the river from further destruction.
At the same time, the delegation has also complained about the nefarious activities of those operating petrol pumps and liquor stores in Phulbari area.
They complained that fuel shortages are frequent and what is obtained is adulterated as some of the fuel station operators are allegedly running a racket to smuggle the fuel to Bangladesh through boats using the riverine. This is being done for a long time because fuel from India is in high demand across the international border.
In the same way, Indian made foreign liquor is also being smuggled across the border while in the local area black marketing is being encouraged, they allege.
The GSU leaders are optimistic that the government will look into these burning issues at the earliest to save Jinjiram river and bring the culprits behind illegal operations to face the rule of law.
