The Dirty Enigma that is Dimapur-I

The commercial capital of Nagaland has been reeling under rudderless leadership and vision for quite a few years now. Everywhere you go, heaps of garbage welcome you with miserable and foul stench. There seems to be no willingness on the part of stakeholders and the general public to come to a mutual understanding and fork out a sustainable solution. Come nightfall, Dimapur town is nothing but a sea of garbage all along the roadside – a most despicable sight. And that is just an instance. The DMC does its job of collecting wastes/garbage regularly but the general public, for the large part, is simply non-cooperative. So, I suggest that the DMC led by the Chairperson and the councillors get back to the drawing board and realign their objectives when it comes to the overall cleanliness and hygiene of Dimapur. While I have several suggestions, I will only say this: use full force of the law to make the public comply. People, in general, do not follow the law unless threatened by counter action and punishment. Discipline must be cultivated the hard way. Only when we are disciplined will we able to grow and progress as a society. How do you think Singapore grew from a cesspool pit to one of the world’s cleanest and most progressive city states?

Nagaland is rapidly opening up to tourists and visitors from outside. The first city they set foot on is in Dimapur and when they are greeted by unclean streets and foul smells, one can only imagine what they think of the world famous Nagas.

I Longkumer