With over 300 tonnes of waste being generated on a daily basis, Nagaland is faced with issues concerning waste management.
This was highlighted during the workshop on ‘composting food waste at home’ under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), organised Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) in collaboration with Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) on Monday.
Citing the report of NPCB by 39 Urban Local Bodies (3 municipal and 36 town councils), around 303.85 (tonnes of waste per day- TPD) were generated from the ULBs out of which around 260 TPD is collected and leaving the rest without any proper treatment.
NPCB Scientist ‘B’ Yanathung Kithan raised concern that waste generation in Nagaland is increasing annually and cautioned that there was urgent need to take remedial measures
He said that among the ULBs, only Kohima has a scientific waste treatment plant but which has been non-functional for four to five years. The rest rely on open dumping and making proper waste segregation unfeasible, he said.
Dimapur alone generates nearly 100,000 kgs of waste daily, out of which 50% of this waste is organic, he said. He also expressed concern over the lack of proper waste management infrastructure in rural areas, with no record of waste generated per day.
Kithan’s remarks stressed on the urgency for establishing comprehensive waste management systems in both urban and rural areas to address this escalating problem effectively.
Highlighting the pivotal role of waste segregation and management, NPCB member secretary, K. Hukato Chishi, urged residents to adopt composting practices.
Chishi emphasized that home waste management was essential for improving air quality and easing the burden on waste management authorities.
“The responsibility for managing waste begins at home. Composting wet waste is a simple yet impactful way to contribute to cleaner air and a healthier environment,” he stated.
KMC councilor and convener for Sanitation and Water Supply, Thenusou Sekhose, stressed on the importance of community involvement in sustainable waste management. She noted that proper waste disposal reflects civic responsibility and fosters a closer connection to traditional values of living in harmony with nature.
Others who addressed the workshop included KMC deputy chairperson Khrielievi Chusi, NPCB senior scientific assistant Olivi G Chophy and NPCB junior scientific assistant Rongsenben Longkumer.
The workshop included practical training on setting up composting units and discussions on topics such as solid waste management, ambient air quality, and Mission Life. NPCB also distributed around 200 composting bins among other equipments to KMC to be distributed to wards.