Haphazard waste disposal adds to flash flood woes
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 15 2022: Haphazard disposal of waste materials and irregularity in removing garbage mounds piled up at different places have been adding to the woes created by heavy rains or flash floods at Imphal city and surrounding areas.

Piling of waste materials at several corners of the busy market areas and on the sides of different major roads has also been posing serious health hazards as these garbage piles are not removed for weeks resulting in decomposition of the waste materials and emanation of foul odour.

The situation is so bad at some places that people have to cover their noses and mouths while passing through these garbage piles as the stench is unbearable.

Not only drains, but some rivers are also highly contaminated and dirty as waste materials are discharged into them on daily basis.

Haphazard waste disposal adds to flash flood woes

The stench emanated from garbage piles and germs bred there can be a source of several diseases for commuters as well as local residents.

Piling of waste materials near shops and hotels, milk booths etc has been posing serious health risk to shopkeepers and customers alike.

The situation gets worse during rainy season as drainage systems have failed in many areas including busy market areas, Babupara road, Kakwa, Konung Mamang (Andro Parking) etc.

Every time there is moderate to heavy rainfall, these areas get waterlogged and one can see water flowing on the roads, thereby causing severe inconveniences to movement of people.

At some places, one can see decomposed waste materials floating on waterlogged roads which makes commuters, particularly pedestrians vulnerable to different types of water borne diseases.

In the wake of the incessant rainfall which lashed the State since the past five/six days, similar scenes can be seen at different localities of Imphal.

Even as IMC staff have been removing waste materials and garbage piles, sometimes using heavy machinery like excavator (JCB), many shopkeepers and residents continue to dispose waste materials on the sides of busy roads and within their residential areas.

As such, piles of garbage can be seen at these places most of the time.

It is also highly questionable how regular are the IMC staff in removing garbage piles.

Even though IMC and private agencies engaged by them are supposed to remove garbage piles from Imphal city on a daily basis, it is clear that the IMC and the private agencies are not regular enough in their waste disposal work.

As a result, these places are getting more filthy and polluted making them fertile breed grounds for several disease causing germs.

At the same time, shopkeepers and vendors need to have enough civic sense regarding where to dispose their waste materials.

IMC and other relevant authorities ought to come up with appropriate rules and policies in order to streamline disposal of waste materials and designate certain spots of Imphal city as waste disposal sites so that waste materials and garbage are not littered around.

It is also essential to remove waste materials collected at these sites on daily basis, many citizens opined.

Notably, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India pointed out in 2018 that the solid management project of Imphal city was unable to serve its purpose because of certain flaws and deficiency in implementing the project.

Whereas urban local bodies implement the solid waste management works, MAHUD Department is entrusted with the task of framing policy and strategy.

In tandem with the ever increasing urban population and their changing lifestyle, solid wastes generated in urban areas have also been multiplying.

According to the CAG report, 186.82 tonnes of solid wastes are generated every day in the urban areas of Imphal.

There is a solid waste management plant at Lamdeng, around 10 Kms away from Imphal city.

The plant commissioned in 2016 has the capacity to transform 100 tonnes of solid waste into manure in a day.

As such, there is a substantial gap in the quantities of solid wastes generated in Imphal city and the solid waste management plant's daily capacity.

As there is no other solid waste management plant, authorities often face serious problems in stocking waste materials when the Lamdeng plant breaks down or is shut down for different reasons.

During these days, tonnes of solid wastes are seen stocked at temporary dumping sites.

It remains a big question whether the authorities have any action plan as yet to face such contingencies.

The huge gap between the solid wastes generated every day and the solid waste management plant's handling capacity is highly detrimental to environment.