Our Correspondent
TURA:
The district administration has come up with a slew of guidelines and regulations for Tura town to deal with the daily problem of garbage on roads, illegal livestock rearing inside the town, pollution of the water bodies and menace of stray dogs, among others.
A recent meeting between the district administration and the locality development committees at Tura DC office, chaired by Deputy commissioner Jagdish Chelani, has led to the endorsement of as many as a dozen steps aimed at keeping Tura clean and a comfort for its citizens.
A major problem of garbage disposal is beginning to see a positive change with as many as 84 out of 116 localities of Tura town already adhering to the garbage disposal system in which Tura municipal board trucks blaring traditional music land up at each of the designated areas at a specific time each day to ensure people bring out their waste directly to the trucks instead of dumping on roads.
Efforts are being made to involve the remaining localities, while at the same time, offenders are to be fined Rs 500 for first time offences and Rs 5000 for a third violation.
Taking a cue from Indore city which is famous for waste segregation, Tura Municipal Board plans to encourage citizens to segregate their waste at source.
STRAY DOGS/ANIMALS
The rise in population of stray dogs has fast become a nuisance in the town and added to it are pet owners who release their dogs onto streets for defecation leading to pollution.
The municipal board chairman J D Sangma has informed that a proposal for a dog shelter has already been submitted to the government and, at the same time, veterinary officials have been tasked with initiating registration of all pets in town, ensuring proper vaccination and inoculation and wearing of identity tags on pets.
Dengue and pig rearing inside town
Chief Executive Officer of Tura Municipal Board Smt. Rikse R Marak revealed to the attending area committee leaders that there are growing complaints of illegal rearing of pigs within the municipal area despite the issuing of notices regarding Prohibition of Rearing of pigs and other livestock.
The Area Development committees have been tasked with the job to end this menace and ensure pigs being reared in the Municipal Areas are relocated to outside the Municipal Area.
This is particularly of high importance due to rising cases of dengue in Tura and other nearby towns with even deaths having taken place.
Tura will also no longer allow open display of meat produced for sale.
Discharge of faecal sludge into streams in Tura
The persisting issue of pollution of rivers and streams continues to plague the town which is blessed with as many as four major streams that pass through the town but its water is unfit for use due to pollution.
The municipal board has received multiple complaints regarding the discharge of faecal sludge into rivers and streams and action is being taken by issuing notices to households engaged in this practice.
Among others, a proposed solution has also been decided to relocate septic tanks away from river banks, where feasible, and construction of a shared or common septic tank for multiple households to ease the burden of BPL families as well as save the streams.
Deputy Commissioner Jagdish Chelani told the gathering that such initiatives can also be taken up under the 15th Finance Commission and the requirement of community septic tanks can be recommended to Tura Municipal Board.
A survey is being planned of households residing near rivers and streams. This survey aims to identify any households releasing faecal sludge into these water bodies.
Other discussions included seeking permission for private hosting of parties at guest houses and hotels, ensuring its garbage disposal by private parties, prohibition of commercial parties and loud music in residential areas and hospitals, removal of private vehicle parking on PWD roads- a menace that causes traffic congestion, Introducing Uniforms, Badges, and Licenses for Drivers and standardizing the fares of Auto rickshaws in Tura, Enhancing Monitoring of Diesel Commercial Vehicles Pollution in town, among others.
A burning issue in Town is Underage Reckless Driving for which police and transport department have been directed to strictly clamp down.
Intensified police patrolling in isolated areas in view of the upcoming holiday season is also mooted, cleaning of the biggest market in Tura- Najing Bazaar on Saturday evening after market closure, clamping down on illegal collection in markets and dealing with the nuisance frequently created by revellers near Gandrak Dare Bridge and the other public places has also been decided at the meeting.