Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEP 7 (NPN): Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) is set to strictly enforce a four-category waste segregation system and impose penalties on violators after completing ward-level training and awareness programmes, KMC chief executive officer (CEO) Alemyapang Longchar said.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, Longchar said sanitation and market regulation were among the council’s primary functions and that the new waste management rules would be strictly implemented and monitored.
Under the new system, households and establishments will be required to segregate waste into four categories — wet, dry, sanitary and hospital waste — instead of the existing wet and dry classification.
He said intensive training had been completed in five of KMC’s 19 wards, with training in the remaining wards expected to be completed within the next few days. Penalties would be imposed after the training and awareness process was completed, he said.
Clarifying the role of the landfill at Dzüruzou, Longchar said it was intended to function as a scientific landfill for segregation and processing rather than as a dumping ground. He claimed that nearly 90% of collected waste was recycled or reused in different forms, with about 10% remaining as residual waste.
Kohima generates and collects around 64-65 tonnes of waste daily, comprising approximately 35 tonnes of dry waste and 30 tonnes of wet waste, he said.
Longchar highlighted the role of sanitation workers in maintaining cleanliness in the capital, saying around 90 workers were engaged in cleaning different parts of Kohima every day and were paid regularly.
However, he said KMC continued to face financial difficulties, particularly in meeting the salaries of its regular employees. The council did not have a dedicated budget and had to seek assistance from the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs departments, he said, adding that the assistance was inadequate to meet its overall requirements.
To improve waste management and generate revenue, KMC was exploring partnerships with private companies, Longchar said. The council was negotiating with a company for wet-waste management, with an MoU expected to be signed soon, while dry waste would be handled by another group or company.
A new system scheduled to take effect from October 1 will introduce a nominal tipping fee for waste brought to the treatment plant at Lerie. Longchar said the fee was intended to help meet the costs of managing and maintaining the landfill site.
He expressed hope that the new regulations and revenue mechanisms would eventually enable KMC to generate its own income and become more financially self-sufficient.
On parking tax, Longchar clarified that KMC did not directly collect the tax from the public. Instead, parking spaces were leased for periods of three to six months, after which the leases had to be renewed.
On market regulation, Longchar said KMC records showed approximately 9,000 shops in Kohima, of which around 6,000 had renewed their licences. The remaining 3,000 had either not renewed their licences or may have closed, he said.
Regarding market prices, Longchar said Kohima had relatively stable prices compared with Dimapur. While prices were not checked daily, KMC made adjustments when necessary. The last revision was carried out in July, and another review was underway, he said.