Waste audit flags plastic pollution as major threat in Dimapur

Published on Jun 4, 2025

DIMAPUR — A waste audit conducted in the aftermath of The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2025 in Dimapur on May 29 has highlighted the urgent need to address the growing plastic waste crisis in the city.
The cleanup drive organised by five organisations—Living For Environment (LiFE), YouthNet, E Circle, Green Guard, and Kuda Waste Solutions—focused on Dimapur Railway Station and State Stadium.
Following the cleanup, a waste audit was conducted at the State Stadium by the team and volunteer partners. However, due to the sheer volume of waste, financial constraints, and unfavourable weather conditions, only a portion of the collected material could be segregated and analysed.
LiFE, serving as the leading organisation and State Coordinator for THC Nagaland 2025, compiled data from both sites and released their findings on Wednesday to coincide its publication with World Environment Day (June 5).

The Himalayan cleanup drive in Dimapur. (EM Images)

The analysis flagged a significant problem: the overwhelming presence of plastic waste, particularly Single-Use Plastics and Multi-Layered Plastics (MLP), which emerged as the dominant pollutants at both locations.
The audit also revealed distinct consumption patterns, with the Railway Station showing a higher concentration of tobacco and gutka products, while the State Stadium exhibited a greater prevalence of alcohol containers.
At the Railway Station, 145 distinct brands and items were identified, including e-waste, food waste, and alcohol containers. The top six polluters included black plastic bags, clear plastic bags, disposable paper cups, Shikhar (a tobacco product), Siggnature (another tobacco product), and phone tempered glass.

The State Stadium's audit, conducted across nine zones, revealed a similar dominance of plastic waste. Despite Nagaland being a dry state, a significant number of alcohol containers were discovered, raising concerns about potential injuries from broken glass, as evidenced by an incident involving a volunteer during the cleanup.
The audit revealed a staggering 4,151 black plastic bags, followed by 2,847 clear plastic bags, and 2,415 disposable plastic cups. Within the alcohol category, 29 brands were identified, with Budweiser (beer) being the most frequently found.
A total of 363 alcohol containers (bottles and cans) were collected, weighing 101.80 kg. Adding to the concern, eight soiled diapers (nappies) weighing 4.71 kg were found in an area within the State Stadium used as an open dumpsite by local residents.
A find the organisers described as unexpected at the State Stadium was the presence of used condoms.
“The cleanup and waste audit confirmed what we all know—plastic waste is the main polluter. Single-Use Plastic and Multi-Layered Plastics are the major contributors. If we do not change our mindset and adopt sustainable practices, we are gearing ourselves for a ‘waste pandemic’ that will have an irremediable effect on both our environment and health,” it warned.