Stinky blues: Panchayat issues warning against trashy garbage disposal

Dimapur, April 23 (EMN): Waste management (or lack of it) and mounting mounds of garbage even in urban centres, contrasted by the frequent “cleanliness drives” in Nagaland, continue to offer a hard challenge about the state’s long and hard climb to achieving a truly healthy, green environment.

As part of the continuing saga against garbage, the panchayat of an area in Nagaland’s capital, Kohima town, has warned of “unwarranted situations” if careless citizens and stakeholders do not cease from engaging in “unhealthy and avoidable practices” concerning garbage and waste management in the panchayat’s region.

The Lerie Panchayat in Kohima issued a press release on Tuesday listing out a number of complaints that the council took strong cognizance of.

The Lerie Panchayat appealed to all panchayat and ward sanitation committees of the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC): ‘Refrain from sending their “respective garbage transport vehicle for dumping of garbage except those segregated bio-degradable waste to the Sipmiu solid waste management facilities and recycling plant at Lerie colony till such time the KMC start operating the plant.’

The council stated that the plant has been ‘lying redundant’ due to the termination of the contract period of its management with M/s Ramky Group of Hyderabad and the taking over of the management by the KMC.

As a result, the council stated, the entire plant area has become “very unhygienic thereby causing a lot of inconvenience to the resident of Lerie colony especially those persons/family residing in the vicinity of the plant.”

The panchayat also observed that ‘certain persons/parties’ are ‘in the habit of unauthorised practice of random dumping’ of soil and other construction debris on the side of the road leading to the Justice & Law department quarters and Sipmiu solid waste management facilities below the Heliport at Lerie.

This has resulted in narrowing the passage of the road, endangering the lives of commuters and the safety of the vehicles taking the route, the press release stated.

The panchayat stated: ‘The persons/parties concerned are advised to immediately stop this unhealthy practice, and the concerned department maintaining/managing this road is requested to ensure that this objectionable exercise is put to an end’ and remedial follow up measures is initiated on top priority basis.’

This is to minimise the chances of ‘imminent manmade disasters in near future,’ the press release stated.

The Lerie Panchayat has cautioned all in concern to put an end to the stated practices and refrain from “these prevailing unhealthy and avoidable practices in the best interest of all the stakeholders concerned with immediate effect so as to avoid any unwarranted situations.”

The failure to comply with this “polite caution” may attract appropriate action from the Lerie Panchayat “as the above mentioned practices are highly questionable and unacceptable in a progressive and civilize society,” the press release read.

To keep a check on the ‘unhealthy public nuisance,’ the Lerie Panchayat has authorised the Lerie Youth Organisation to monitor, identify and submit a detail report about the defaulters to the panchayat immediately to initiate appropriate necessary follow up action as deemed fit.

Special Branch personnel do their bit
Personnel of the police’s Special Branch of Dimapur district organized a cleanliness drive on April 23 in the city.

The cleanliness drive was conducted at the New Market, assisting Dimapur Municipal Council’s (DMC) scavengers. Huge mounds of plastic waste were gathered and disposed off at the DMC’s garbage dumping ground.

Altogether 70 SB personnel comprising men and women took part in the cleanliness drive.

Atu Zumvu, deputy superintendent of Police of the SB, addressed the personnel. “Our basic requirements like transport, clothing, food items, medicines etc., has a composition of plastic as a result of which awareness has become a top most priority for every human being to prevent plastic hazards and implement safety measures,” Zumvu said.

Acknowledging that plastic is used everywhere, he said maximum publicity relating to plastic waste disposal and prevention must have to be spread for both the seller and the purchaser, and the public in general.

The hazards of plastics were also highlighted and how the by-products of plastic are littering not just surroundings but also waterways. This is resulting in major health problems for human beings as well as animals.

‘We often see the burning of plastic waste in the open vicinities of localities and as a result of which the toxic chemicals that emit out of the flames are not only creating air pollution but also causing respiratory disorders in people inhaling the polluted air,’ said Zumvu.

A discourse about the preventive measures that are required to be taken was also imparted to the personnel. The officer emphasised that cleanliness and hygiene should begin from every individual’s home by applying their minds in adopting certain methods such as maintaining a separate dustbin for storing plastic waste for recycling purpose etc.

Also, the personnel took a pledge by declaring the SB’s office at Dimapur a plastic-free zone with effect from April 23.