Ugly downside of Shirui Lily Festival : Plastic waste litter Shirui Peak, TNL ground
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, May 07 2018: Now the ugly downside of the Shirui Lily Festival held from April 24 to April 28.After the five days State level festival, there is nothing to suggest that the thousands of visitors who came to Ukhriil and trudged up the Shirui Peak, had come mentally prepared to respect nature and the abode of the Lily.

The mountains of waste, particularly plastic wastes left behind by the visitors at Shirui Peak and TNL ground, another important venue of the Festival, is an eye sore even to this day, a good many days after the festival got over.

According to the president of Shirui Youth Organisation Chanchui Shangh, the waste, mostly plastics left behind by the visitors has reduced Shirui Peak; the natural abode of the Lily, into a sort of a dumping site.

This is the sight at the moment, that is even after the village youths have collected more than three truck loads of the waste and disposed them.

Ugly downside of Shirui Lily Festival : Plastic waste litter Shirui Peak, TNL ground

The number of visitors was huge he said adding that more than 10,000 visitors were recorded during the five days festival and garbage and waste littering Shirui Peak are their farewell gifts to Shirui Peak or Kashong as it is known in the local dialect.

The youth leader opined that all visitors need to be first sensitised on the need to conserve Shirui Lily as well as the strict prohibition on plucking the flower at its natural abode.

During the festival one person was caught plucking the rare flower by the Shirui youths and he was made to pay a fine of Rs 3000 .

Besides the Lily, the youths of Shirui have prohibited the plucking of any wild plants or orchid in a bid to preserve nature at Shirui village, particularly Shirui Peak.

Violators are fined Rs 2000.The Shirui Lily will start blossoming from May 10 onwards, said the youths of Shirui village and as such the Shirui Youth Organisation has started deploying 20 guides to guide and keep a check on the visitors.

Rs 20 is charged from every visitor for registration.

On the other hand, many sports persons of Ukhrul, particularly footballers are a peeved lot today as the TNL ground, which served as a venue during the festival has been left in a tattered state with plastic wastes lying all around.

TNL ground is used by all the sports persons, particularly footballers for their practise as well as for matches.

The stalls, stage etc were removed on time however the dug out mud, plastic wastes, bottles and other wastes which piled up during the festival continue to litterthe ground.

A young footballer of the town said that though it is almost a week since the festival wound up, no practise can be held at TNL ground as the wastes .are yet to be cleared.

Sportspersons further urged the authority concerned and the responsible persons to clear the football ground at the earliest so as to enable them to continue their daily practices.