WEDNESDAY, JULY 02, 2025
Dumping Woes
Published on May 27, 2025
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- The dumping site at Sunrise Colony, Burma Camp, continues to haunt Nagaland as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) for non-compliance with its directive. In February 2023, the statutory body directed the DMC to relocate the dumping site due to environmental and public health concerns. It also mandated several measures, including the construction of a concrete slab for waste processing, installation of CCTV cameras, and the establishment of an Effluent Treatment Plant and a Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) by May 2024. Subsequently, the DMC announced last year that an alternative site had been identified and submitted to the state government for consideration. However, relocation has yet to occur, although some remedial measures have been implemented. This situation not only exposes administrative failures and red tape but also highlights underlying issues that hinder efforts to address waste management in the state, particularly in urban areas. The lack of a proper dumping site and effective waste management systems indicates that all is not well. Both the waste treatment plant in Kohima, established in 2016, and the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Shozukhu village in Dimapur, inaugurated in 2023, are reportedly non-functional, forcing urban local bodies (ULBs) to dump waste in open spaces without proper segregation, jeopardising public health and contributing to environmental pollution.
- While local bodies are responsible for waste management, it is unfair to place the entire blame on them for the current mess. Failures exist on multiple fronts. For example, the DMC has initiated a door-to-door garbage collection programme to improve community hygiene and sanitation, yet many individuals continue to litter household waste at unauthorised sites. People transport their household waste in vehicles and dump it by the roadside, polluting the environment and threatening public health. In addition to raising awareness about the importance of public hygiene, authorities should penalise those who dispose of garbage on roads and in unauthorised locations. Failure to address this issue can lead to serious consequences, including environmental degradation, air pollution, threats to wildlife, flooding, and disease outbreaks. The DMC must prepare for the early onset of the monsoon, which has arrived two weeks ahead of schedule this year. A light shower last week resulted in waterlogging in several areas of Dimapur. We know what lies ahead if the relevant authorities fail to take preventive measures, such as desilting drains.
Nagaland Districts
