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Pet bottles and other waste materials being collected to be transported to the market.[/caption]
Dimapur, May 16 (EMN): The waste management system initiated by Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) in Sechu-Zubza village has begun to bear dividend in keeping the environment clean and reducing pollution.
Sechu-Zubza, a small town in Kohima district comprising 3,425 households with a total population of 17,369.
A NPCB press release stated that women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Sechu-Zubza had started to understand the importance of waste management and make it as a beneficial activity. Observing the scrap dealers/ kabariwallas coming to buy their waste and selling it to big scrap dealers, it stated that the women, who are farmers, housewives and small business owners have realised they too could do the same and earn some income as well as take care of their environment.
It stated that plans were made among groups comprising of two-three members to collect waste along the National Highway- 29, which passes through the village and rivers located within their jurisdiction and also collect pet bottles etc from small streams of the town which was in abundance at the beginning.
They collect various wastes like plastic bottles, tins, metal waste, paper products, tires etc. The collection of the waste is done twice or thrice a week manually or using their own transport. The collected wastes are then segregated and transported to Dimapur, the nearest commercial city, and sold to the scrap dealers.
It also stated that transportation of the collected waste to be sold in Dimapur is usually through Tata mobile after sorting into plastic, cartons, scrap metals, paper such as text books and news papers. It stated that the profit they make might not be much which is about Rs 3000 per month per person, but the initiative taken by them has helped in keeping the environment clean and reducing pollution.
For efficient transportation, it stated that the bulk pet bottles and other plastics are compacted by using a locally made compactor developed by Alie Sekhose from Sechu, which is a hand held prototype “Waste compacting machine” to help compact the plastic wastes. It has helped immensely in decreasing the size of the plastic wastes mass.
The practice of rearing pigs which is common in every Naga household, it stated that even if someone doesn’t rear them, food wastes are collected in a bin or bucket and used beneficially in backyard piggery farming. They too practice collection of food waste and kitchen waste at their own homes and give it to the pig rearing farmer.
To curb the menace, it stated that Sechu Zubza youth organisation has prohibited using plastic, except only 40 micron+, and paper plates during festive occasions.
NPCB has initiated the movement as lifestyles has changed in many ways thereby generating wastes of different types such as iron, tin, aluminum, sachets, wrappers, plastic, rubber, cartons, paper, food waste etc on daily basis. While many of the wastes are biodegradable and compost into soil, there are other non biodegradable wastes which persist in the environment for a long period thereby harming the environment.