Wah Umkhrah clean-up trial is a success: Green-Tech Foundation

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 24, 2024

Members of the Green-Tech Foundation on Saturday lifted the wastes trapped at the Terminal Point Interceptor which the organisation installed at Wah Umkhrah near Jaiaw,Weiking Ground. The organisation started the Wah Umkhrah Clean up on March 4. 

Chairman of the organisation H. Bansiewdor Nonglang said that they were able to lift 20 tons of waste on Saturday. They lifted 7 tons of waste on March 9.

“We have started this trial on March 4 this year by installing the floating barriers and trash traps that prevent the pollutants from floating further downstream. The waste was then lifted on March 9 which weighed 7 tons. Today, the waste that was lifted is not less than 20 ton,” he said on Saturday.

The members of the organisation then segregate the wastes in recyclable and non-recyclable wastes. 

He stressed that cleaning the Wah Umkhrah is a trial only as the actual project clean-up will take 6-7 years for the organisation. 

“The amount of money needed to clean the river for 4-5 years will be not less than Rs 10-15 crores. It is not an easy task,” he said.

Nonglang confidently said that the trial clean-up of the Wah Umkhrah has so far been successful.

He urged youngsters to adopt a place, forests or rivers to clean.

According to him, cleaning the river will be a blessing to the residents of Damsite and Mawdun.

Urged the government to implement projects to clean the river, he said, “It is time to constitute a strong committee not only the Shillong Municipal Board or the forest department, or the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). There should be a committee having a nodal officer to check the two rivers of Umshyrpi and Wah Umkhrah.”

“We will soon see success,” he said while the volunteers of GTF collected wastes.

Nonglang said that the barriers absorb oily waste as well and there is not a need for high tech equipment from advanced countries.  

Glad at the support extended by Seng Samla Mawlai also came, residents of Mawdun also who arrived to clean the river together, he said that the number of TPI can be increased and deploy teams to clean the stretch of the river.