Drains Tell All
Central government’s sanitation efforts through its Clean India Mission launched in 2014, Kohima Municipal Council (KMC)’s waste collection initiative and aggressive awareness campaign on proper disposal of waste have literally gone down the drains of Kohima.
- Central government’s sanitation efforts through its Clean
India Mission launched in 2014, Kohima Municipal Council (KMC)’s waste
collection initiative and aggressive awareness campaign on proper disposal of
waste have literally gone down the drains of Kohima. The appalling video clip
of waste, mostly plastic items, being brought down the drain of a colony in the
state capital by the rains on Thursday, speaks volumes about public response to
the call for a cleaner Kohima. It indicates that appeals for ethical waste
management practices have fallen on deaf ears and the ban on single-use
plastics in the state is nothing but a farce. The video clip also reminds us of
the disgusting sight at the Doyang dam last year, after heavy rains brought
down a huge amount of waste from as far as Kohima and Phek districts to the
picturesque reservoir, triggering outrage from all quarters. But these are
cases of human neglect and apathy towards the call of the concerned authorities
towards a clean environment. For instance, the KMC has repeatedly asked the
people not to litter and business owners to maintain hygiene in and around
their surroundings, including the installation of waste bins, warning that
defaulters would be penalised under the Nagaland Municipal Act 2023 but the
waste menace remains unsolved to this day. What is needed to effectively tackle
the issue is finding a permanent solution and not a one-time clearance of
waste.
- It will be unfair to throw the entire blame on the
government or the municipal council for the waste problem we are facing today.
When an unauthorised dumping site is closed, a new one crops up at another
location not far from the previous spot. Some village councils want waste to be
collected but don’t want to pay for it, while some don’t do their job
diligently after collecting sanitation fees from the public. There are also
people who carry their household waste in their vehicles and dispose of it at
other localities or open spaces. Such practices and attitudes don’t help solve
the issue at hand. We should take concrete action considering the severe
repercussions littering can have on the environment, human health, wildlife and
economy. Plastic items can trigger floods by clogging the drains as well as
pollute the environment and water bodies. An estimated 11 million metric tons
of plastic enter the ocean every year, mostly via rivers, according to a study.
If this trend is not arrested, the pollution caused by plastics will soon cause
irreparable damage to marine ecosystems. And we should remember that our
carelessness and indifference can prove costly for living organisms, including
human beings.
