Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 6
Many tourist destinations in the state are witnessing excessive pollution of plastic waste, mostly created by local tourists, retired commissioner & secretary, LH Thangi Mannen has revealed.
“These villages are unable to cope with both the influx of unruly visitors, and the waste accumulation,” said Manen while speaking at the recently concluded sensitization programme on Waste Management in Nagaland at Kohima.
She said that in the rural areas, waste accumulation are mostly plastic and non bio-degradable waste as most degradable waste are used as animal feeds. The former wastes are mostly burned or buried.
The other issue of concern is that except for Dimapur and Kohima, other districts do not have scrap dealers or waste collectors to collect the recyclable waste. Thus these districts, towns and villages will eventually witness the continuous pile up of garbage at an alarming rate.
She said that the landfill at Mon is also located next to the river with most of the waste spilling into it.
Localities outside the Dimapur municipal areas do not have any landfills to dispose their waste, resulting in the local residents burning their waste. This adds to the air pollution, making Dimapur’s air quality index (AQI) on the more polluted list, said Manen who is playing a key role in Green Team Kohima.
She said that the accumulation of garbage is increasing and landfills are not only a sore sight, but negatively effecting the land, soil, and environment.
The Dimapur landfill has taken up the process of bio-stabilization, which has not only comparatively reduced the volume of the garbage, but also its foul smell.
She said that technology is quite expensive and other Municipals and town councils may not have the required resources while suggesting that perhaps the Nagaland Government could consider taking this up in their plan of action for solid waste management.
Provide adequate budget for tackling waste management
Mannen also opined that adequate budget provision and focus should be given for tackling the issue of waste management in the state.
She suggested that the possibility of the branded pollutants to be taken up under the “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) of the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, maybe considered.
Single use plastics such as plastic bags, plastic utensils, bottled water, etc. should be systematically phased out, or banned completely, without any conditions, she said.
Disposable items such as thermocol/ styrofoam, which are proven health hazards should be outrightly banned. Also investing in reusable utensils proves extremely economical on the long run, while significantly reducing plastic pollution.
She suggested that every ward/villages etc. may be asked to draft their own resolution for eradicating single use plastics.
All schools/colleges/institutions be asked not to stock/sell single use plastic water bottles/drinks, snacks, multi-layered packaged food items, and tetra pack juices and drinks, (junk food) within their premises.
The June 2015 order of the Education Department on this can be reiterated and enforced, she said.
My waste my responsibility
The concept of ‘My Waste My Responsibility,’ needs to be taken up for segregation of waste at source.
“Every household, hotel, institutions, community and every ward should work towards taking responsibility of their own waste through segregation and resource recovery,” she said adding such actions and interventions reduce the load on landfill.
She said that Committees dedicated to work on sustainable waste management at ward level have to be formed or if already existing these need to be strengthened. The involvement of community leaders, religious leaders, schools, clubs, NGOs, youth organisations, etc. in the committee is crucial.
Stressing on the need to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of these committees, she opined that capacity building of these committees on Solid Waste Management Rules 2016/Zero waste principles/ waste reduction steps will be a critical component. She also suggested ban on burning of garbage, ban on disposal of garbage in drains, streams and rivers.
Further, she viewed that locally available skills for making biodegradable replacements to plastic utensils (cloth bags, plastic spoons, straws, plates and mugs) such as leaf plates, bamboo straws spoons and stirrers, etc would also lead to employment generation. These initiatives for reduction of single use would contribute to the national vision and commitment of eradicating single use plastics by 2022, she said.
Further, the practice of “Zero-waste” protocol for all events be popularized and practiced, she added.
