Dear Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would like to pen some of the environmental issues that are arising as well as may arise in the coming days due to ongoing and upcoming road projects and also various government and private construction projects in addition to practices of the city dwellers of capital city.
These days the various news sources carry items of smog problem in the Capital, Delhi, and the days are not far that Itanagar will also face the same if we don’t take a holistic approach to conserve our environment.
During summers, one must have enjoyed the drive or walk through the patch of road near Secretariat and Vivek Vihar, near the D N G College approach road, due to cooling shades of large trees which is past now and one will get fumes of dust these days because of four-laning of NH-415. It is observed that a huge forest area has been cleared for building highways and other purposes in and around Itanagar as well as other parts of Arunachal Pradesh. It is said that an average sized tree is responsible for a year’s supply of water to a family and we can imagine what we are losing by losing trees.
Though I am not against development but would like to suggest the construction agencies as well as the concerned authorities that trees can be planted along the roads and other parts after completion of the projects as trees not only add to the beauty but also will benefit immensely.
I am also concerned about the rampant throwing of garbage in the natural streams and rivers including the construction of latrines over them as these are posing a great environmental and health threats. Some of these water bodies are overflowing with garbage. They could have been used as alternative water sources during scarcity.
I welcome the initiative of door-to-door garbage collection and been paying Rs. 100/- p.m. for the last two months but garbage was never collected from my house; I wonder sometimes for what I am paying for?
I also wonder if the garbage collecting agency is doing justice to the wastes they collect with proper segregation and disposal. It is high time that we, the common citizens, become sensible and play our share of part to minimize the pollution. I also appeal to the government to take some concrete steps in mitigating these issues.
Yours,
Kenli Ngomdir,
Vice-Principal,
Gyan Ganga Vidyapeeth