SHILLONG, March 07: The Minister in charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar said that the Solid Waste Management project in Kyrdem, Ri-Bhoi District, will only process forward after the local residents of the village have given their approval for it.
Responding to a query today in the Assembly, he said that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has not been prepared as yet even though the Government has already allocated a budget to take up to 200 acres of a plot of land in this village as it wants to first hear the views of the people in the area.
The Minister said that from the Department’s end, a Public Hearing had been held on the 8th of January,2022 over the aforementioned proposal and the Government is awaiting the report from the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Ri-Bhoi District, and expressed that the Government will not go against the will of the people and will continue to examine the proposal.
He also informed that for the purpose of this project, the Department will follow the regulations as laid down in the Solid Waste Management Rules,2016.
Presenting his question, George B.Lyngdoh, MLA of Umroi said that the local residents of the area are baffled by the plan of the Government, and expressed that there are rivulets and water sources present at the site chosen for the project. He expressed that in the Public Hearing called by the Government on the 8th of January also, only a selected few were called, and even he as an MLA had no knowledge whatsoever about the proposed plan of the Government.
The Umroi MLA has also urged the Department concerned to issue a proper notification and gather the public, and at the same time inform the MLA also for after problems started to emerge they seek for the MLA to intervene.
