World Environment Day on June 5 this year, passed off as another day in Dimapur, which has been has been billed as among those most polluted cities of the north east region.
The premier city of Nagaland continues to grapple with air pollution and mounting garbage problem. Residents of Dimapur have gotten used to seeing piles of garbage strewn around or of streams chocked with piles of rubbish and plastic bottles, in addition to potholes, bad roads and lack of drainage which are mirrors of the breakdown of civic sense and management.
These are not only eyesores for the public but also potentially pose health hazard also.
The ‘fling bag’ culture practiced by locals for disposing household garbage on roadsides exposes lack of civic sense and failure in waste management by the civic authorities. The issue of illegal and unscientific garbage dumping and disposal is a serious concern that affects the overall health of the people of Dimapur.
While air pollution from vehicle emissions as well as dusty roads are one aspect, the other more serious being the illegal dumping of tons of garbage right in the middle of Dimapur at Sunrise colony under United North Colony Burma Camp.
Sunrise Colony and Naga Colony under ward 3 of Burma Camp, Dimapur had raised various grievances with regard to the landfill site of Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) located along the NH 29.
Talking to Nagaland Post, Sunrise colony secretary Athempu Kamei said people in the colony expressed grievances with the civic and administrative authorities against the dumping site but they only promised to look into the matter without any follow up action.
He also claimed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the colony and DMC had been revoked by the DMC in order to install a Solid Waste Management Plant at the site but till date it has not taken off.
Kamie added that the said project which was to be undertaken by a company called New Waves Bio Fuel India Ltd. was never implemented while the company was also non-existent or reachable.
The documentary video about the landfill site made by the colony and its neighbour was the last resort since they had exhausted all options to stop dumping of garbage at the site.
In view of the issue being ignored, he said a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench by the residents against the landfill site and that hearings have been held and outcome expected. Chairman of Naga colony, Ward 3 of Burma Camp Zasivikho Zakiesato Punyü said, it was mandatory for the government to follow the requirements as laid down under Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
He said till now, the government had been misleading the people on the issue and the promises made by successive authorities to stop the improper disposal of garbage.
DMC administrator, Moa Sangtam, in a brief interview with Nagaland Post, said DMC had prepared plans for installation of solid waste disposal plants in partnership with private enterprises at the site. However, due to the stay order from the Guwahati High Court following the PIL filed by the colony, DMC was unable to implement its plans.
He said when the dumping site initially started, there were no residents in the nearby areas but after site was chosen, people started occupying the land surrounding the site and now they were complaining about the garbage disposal.
Moa said, DMC had earlier tried to shift the dumping site to other areas following the government orders but when no colony offered site it stuck to the present site which they were already in possession of.
He said, solid waste management plant was the only solution to the impediment faced due to the garbage disposal.
Moa informed that DMC had a meeting with all the four colonies under Ward 3 of Burma camp and realising the issue United North Block Colony A and B had given up the protest but that Sunrise and Naga colonies were still unwilling to come into terms with DMC.
He added that there were numerous instances where people had criticised DMC without hearing their side of the story.
He said if DMC stopped disposing garbage for a day or two, there would be law and order situation in Dimapur.
Moa further informed that DMC, at its expense, had even offered to provide medical camps, chemical to control flies in order to lessen the problems faced by the nearby residents but the complainants did not turn up for a follow-up action.
Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) secretary Rusovil John clarified that though compliance have been received and court case has been registered, on the other hand government has been trying to relocate the site but then as of now no site has been relocated, he said.
On the present conflict about the dumping site, he said that the city has been expanding tremendously but unfortunately technology has failed to come up to address waste management issue. He said DMC have been trying its best to navigate the problem by bringing new technology to reduce waste and has also put forward Detailed Project Report (DPR) of waste management. In this regard, John said NPBC before accepting the proposal, would discuss with the stakeholders and district administration where the DMC will appraised how the project will navigate.
NPCB had earlier disclosed that recorded concentration of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in the city exceeded the permissible limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). The concentration of RSPM in Dimapur air is above 100 µg/m3.Exposure to RSPM causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and even cancers.