EMN
Dimapur, August 9
Civil and environmental organizations have expressed shock and dismay that the Dimapur Municipal Council continues to flout environmental concerns in disposing off the city’s mounting garbage.
The Dhansiri River Flood Control Board (DRFCB) and Green Succession of Nagaland State issued a press release on Friday decrying that the DMC has not shifted the current waste dumping site from the bank of Dhansiri river.
The release said the DRFCB, on various occasions, submitted memorandums to DMC on the issue but never was the authority in condition to address it. Later, the DRFCB and the Green SONS forwarded a join memorandum addressed to the CEO, DMC on June 5, 2012 stating that DMC as a civic body seems to ignore the underlying rules enshrined in the Water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act 1974 and continues to dump the municipal waste at the river bank which adversely pollutes the water causing serious effect on the health of the downstream inhabitants beside causing air pollution around the colony due to the foul smell emanating from the waste.
The dumping site has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes which ensure manifestation of several diseases, the NGOs stated. The then CEO of DMC, Imtirenla Jamir, was stated to have responded by saying that she was not in position to take decision on the issue and had referred the matter to Additional Director of Municipal Affair Cell, Urban Development department on June 25, 2012 but it too landed on deaf ears, they rued.
The board and environmental organization met on August 4 and resolved that if the dumping site was not shifted immediately to a “safe site” by the DMC, the NGOs shall resort to democratic agitation by banning waste disposal as its first step and later file public interest litigation (PIL).
They requested the authorities to take the responsibilities if any untoward incidents arise later.
