Absence of civic sense defaces Imphal
My City, My Life
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 15 2009: Success or failure of the efforts to make Imphal a clean and healthy city will certainly depend on citizens understanding their duties and responsibilities.

But this may not be enough.

The Government too need to take up more concerted efforts.

Although, the Imphal Municipal Council used to pick up garbage in Imphal Municipal Areas including the city circle, the same work has been entrusted to four NGOs sometime back.

The Workers Union Manipur is looking after the wastes and garbage picking work in Khwairamband Keithel (ward no 25) and areas under ward numbers 4, 21, 22, 23 and 26 .

After the garbage picking work was taken over by NGOs from the Imphal Municipal Council, there has been noticeable improvement in the appearance of Imphal city.

Wastes and garbage littered in Imphal by its citizens

Earlier, Imphal city bore a horrible look with filth, waste material and garbage clogging every drain and being piled up on very streets and corners.

But the efforts of the Workers Union to make Imphal city free from any wastes and garbage are often negated by lack of civic sense on the part of citizens and women vendors.

It is often a common sight at Paona bazar, Thangal Bazar, BT Road and other parts of Imphal, people littering and throwing garbage at improper places.

If one observes, one would see people spitting on busy market places without looking if any one coming behind or beside him/her.

People pissing at improper places is also no rare sight.

It remains a daily sight for people to smoke in busy BT road inspite of the countrywide ban on smoking in public places.

Many people are also seen throwing away wrappers and empty packets of snack items and other packaged eatables in the middle of busy roads.

It seems most people don't have the habit to dispose garbage and other waste materials in dust bins.

As such, many people still need awareness programmes on using dust bins.

Another despicable sight is many people spitting out betel liquid in every corner of public places including RIMS and JN Hospital.

Incidentally, there were instances when security personnel pulled up some insensitive people for spitting out betel liquid in public institutes.

Interestingly, there is no case of any one spitting out betel liquids or smoking in Chamber of Commerce Medical Care and Research Centre, Leirik Memorial Charitable hospital, Raj Polyclinic, Maipakpi Maternity and Child Hospital and other private hospitals located in and around Imphal city.

Wastes materials and garbage littered by women vendors of Khwairamband Keithel are cleansed and picked up volunteers of the Workers Union Manipur on daily basis.

Most of the women vendors don't seem to have any thought to put together their garbage and waste materials in a container like polythene bag so that it can be collected by the volunteers without littering.

Another source of dirtying and contaminating Imphal city is the small rice hotels run by vendors without licence inside Khwairamband Keithels.

A large majority of these hotels used to throw away wastes materials on the side of the road located in front of Family Welfare Office.

They never bother to put their waste materials in the garbage pick-up truck kept parked just beside the BT Flyover.

Although it can be safely assumed that the women running rice hotels would be keeping their home neat and clean, these women are acting as if they don't have any clue to keep Imphal city clean and healthy.

It is the same case along Nagamapal road, near Uripok Cheirap Court along BT Flyover and women vendors at these places too harbour the same attitude.

One woman dealing betel inside Khwairamband Keithel observed that Khwairamband Keithels have become a lot cleaner since Workers Union Manipur took over the garbage picking work.

However, most of the women vendors seem to be lacking in civic sense and understanding, she noted.

Some of these women are reluctant to donate a single rupee when volunteers of Workers Union Manipur come for donation once in a month, she said.

Talking to The Sangai Express, general secretary of the Workers Union Manipur L Joykumar explained that as per the agreement signed with the Government, monthly charge of Rs 100 hundred should be levied from every consumer if it is commercial area.

If it is non-commercial area, the monthly charge should be Rs 50 .

For hospitals, godowns, grocery shops and Government offices, the monthly charge for garbage picking work should be levied according to the volume of wastes discharged.

Some grocery shops located inside Khwairamband Keithels have been disposing wastes and garbage on roads in night as they are not willing to pay tax for garbage disposal, Joykumar disclosed.

Many other consumers are also disposing waste materials at road sides in late night.

As the particular persons disposing waste materials at night could not be identified, volunteers of the NGO have started watching for such defaulters at night, he disclosed.

Informing that the Workers Union has been entrusted to cleanse the temporary market shed of Khwairamband Keithel too, the general secretary claimed that filthiness of the market has reduced by 80 percent.

However, consumers are still paying tax to IMC.

When volunteers of the Union went for donation once a month, vendors contributed Rs 2/3.Some others lauded the Union for its works and donated Rs 10.But some vendors refused to make any contribution, he said.

In case the whole work of picking up garbage from the entire Khwairamband Keithel is handed over to the Union, piles of garbage and waste materials seen at the roadside near Family Welfare office will be removed completely and no garbage will be allowed to pile up on the spot, he assured.

He observed that wastes materials seen littering around in Imphal city is due to lack of understanding on the part of citizens.

Lack of coordination between police and traffic police is also contributing to the mess, he added. Notwithstanding the fact that the responsibility of cleaning Imphal city and keeping it neat has been entrusted to the Workers Union Manipur, the union often felt let down and helpless as it is not authorised to take up any action when consumers dispose waste materials at improper places, Joykumar said.

IMC Chairperson Ranisana has already instructed the union to levy separate tax for cleansing the interiors of Khwairamband Keithel.

However, the same work has not been formally handed over to the Union, he conveyed.

Saying that the ongoing efforts to keep Imphal city clean needs cooperation of the IMC, Joykumar said that the union is facing shortage of pick-up vehicles.

Conveying that the IMC is planning to purchase some pick up vehicles, he exuded that the IMC will be able to help the union in its work in a big way once the vehicles are procured.