Rs. 10 for a clean Dimapur

Morung Express News
Dimapur| December 9

What does it cost the people of Dimapur to keep their city clean? Just Rs. 10. That’s not asking for much yet most people don’t even contribute this negligible amount to keep the city clean. The Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) is authorized to charge Rs.10 per month (Rs.120 per year) as sanitation fee from every household (per kitchen) within its jurisdiction under the Municipal Act. Unfortunately, for many citizens who keep complaining about the filth and garbage around their neighbourhood and town, Rs. 10 proves expensive. 

Dimapur, like any other growing city, has been grappling with sanitation problems. Filthy marketplaces, blocked sewages, accumulated garbage, have become synonymous with the city’s image. Despite the efforts of the DMC in keeping the city clean, increasing garbage has become a humungous problem. 108 DMC labourers are engaged everyday in cleaning the city with garbage trucks making as many as 30 trips to the dump yard but that isn’t enough. By the time all 23 DMC wards can be cleared off garbage, the city is already hustling and bustling for the day. “There are atleast 10 to 15 DMC constructed garbage bins in all 23 wards. Added to that are countless places that people have converted into garbage bins. We have to clean all of that,” a source in the DMC sanitation branch said. 

While it has become a norm to put blame on the DMC, citizens are doing little to reduce its burden. The DMC spends about 150 litres of diesel (around Rs. 7,000) to run its dumper trucks everyday. Not paying sanitation fees means that the DMC is cleaning the city for free. “DMC is a self generating agency. Most of the income generated by means of tax is used for sanitation purpose.” a former DMC councillor said.  He said that DMC may have its flaws but the citizens must also cooperate in keeping the city clean. “It’s as simple as throwing your garbage “inside” the bins provided and paying for the services rendered by the DMC.” 

Interestingly, many citizens are not even aware that they have to pay “sanitation fees.” The DMC in coordination with respective colony GBs and Councils collect the fees one time for the whole year.  For those colonies that regularly pay tax, the DMC also regularly collect the garbage. Infact, the tax payers make sure that the DMC dumpers arrive everyday to collect the garbage. “People must know that litter is created by them and if they cannot clean it up themselves; they may as well pay to have it cleaned,” a tax paying citizen said.