Jonah Achumi
While appreciating the continuous and the tireless efforts of the DMC (Dimapur Municipal Council) for the garbage disposal all over the town from every nook and cranny of our markets, colonies, neighborhood dumpsites which reeks of horrible stink leaving one completely nauseating and in a wobbly hazy trance for the whole day. Just a few days back a couple of writers too mentioned about the improper garbage disposal system and the stench it emanates from the NST colony junction adjacent to the United Bank of India which is tormenting all passer-bys, both pedestrians as well as drivers. It is no secret that none can cross this junction either walking by or driving across unless you cover your nose with a fistful or cover up your car window glasses and put on the car AC. Being an early morning walker I use to come across this place daily and the stink is just repulsively unbearable which can be felt till Holy Cross Point to the City Tower area of both sides. Dogs hovering over the piled garbage hunting to grope any eatable, rag-pickers rummaging through the rubbish hoping they delve into any useful thing is an everyday sight. It sure doesn’t look like some decent colony’s junction at all. And this is not the only such place in Dimapur. You go inside the New Market its far worse. Throughout the day it is becoming impossible to walk under the forever constructing never-completed footbridge. The stench is just horrible. It’s the same outside the Dimapur Club wall. Even the most healthy and fit persons will start vomiting if they happen to walk in this area without an air mask. Though the DMC’s JCB, dumper trucks and tractors comes and clean up the mess the stench remains 24x7x365.Come the rain the stench is indescribable. With polythene bags now banned by the DMC themselves it would be another contradictory act if they tell the shopkeepers and vendors to dispose waste after packing it in polythene bags but I expect the DMC own manufactured ones can be used. Respective colonies and ward councils should do the supervising atleast. After all, councils and unions are not only for availing governmental schemes or benefits and to enjoy some turf powers because with power there should be responsibility too, either big or small. If we start cleaning up our own neighbourhoods, I am sure Dimapur will be cleaner and healthier place to live. The Marwari Patti area near the Patanjali Store is also a sorry affair. Whenever one go to buy some essentials there the sick nauseating smell comes and blackout all your senses until you start walking like a zombie. The story remains the same in the MP road area too. Often I’ve asked some shopkeepers how they can sit the whole day with this kind of horrible stench and suggested that they put some disinfectants like phenyl or citronella but they replied it is of no use at all as again in the late evening after every hotels and shops close down their shutters and vendors start going homes, everybody brings their own litter and dump in that particular places. They can’t do anything about it. Even the colonies where dust-bins have been constructed by DMC, the rubbishes are thrown and strewn all over the roads by residents and the Notun Basti-LRC junction is one fine example. I wonder how irresponsible we Dimapurians can be. When we can compete with one another in building mansions and showrooms, driving latest swanky luxury cars, wearing the latest branded designer clothes, donning Armani and Gucci shades, owing latest I-phones and I-pads, aping assorted wannabe Korean and American accents, travelling around the world and what not, can we not even properly throw our waste? Glitzy showrooms, high-end pubs and lounges, world class eateries, upscale apartments, national and international business outlets and centers mushrooming all over the town but it’s a shame we still don’t even know how to dispose our own waste. The sickening smell around the town we live is a very serious concern as it poses a very serious health hazard to all the citizens alike. We try to be so much westernized, or say modernized when we cannot even perform our simplest responsibilities. As population increases so is the waste. Regardless of the business benefits these wastes are causing a lot of health hazard and harming the environment. Domestic wastes should be tried to be reduced and re-used and recycled. Reckless and improper dumping of waste has made the whole town unbearable. Last time after some rain the garbage piled up at the Signal-Thahekhu junction blocked all the rainwater to flow out in the drain and caused some sort of mini-flood. When it rains these garbage gives out bizarre outlandish pungent odours that can even make a statue cover his nose. Sometime back when the DMC sanitation workers went on a strike Dimapur became a full-fledged Garbage Kingdom. Every day we create huge amount of waste as the more we consume the more waste we produce. Of course garbage disposal in modern times in big urban locales is a major problem all over the world and it needs the people’s co-operation and responsibility but ours seems to be in a scarce commodity. Our responsibility starts the moment we gather the garbage at our homes and make sure it doesn’t end there as we have to take due care that even after we throw away it should not be a problem for others too. Then only can we be called a civilized citizen. The administration alone can never do it alone. Public co-operation is a must. Random disposal of waste from shops, hotels, garage rubbish, bathroom vanity, household utility chemicals, ware-houses and e-wastes can be corrosive, toxic or inflammable or reactive which will be hazardous to both the environment and the human health. It is we citizens who must ensure that these wastes are managed safely and disposed off in the most responsible manner. We humans should also avoid buying and throwing away not so necessary items as it is not only straining the environment but burning a hole in one’s pockets. There are plenty of important things we should know about waste management and disposal in order to ensure that we are safe, as well as that we are keeping the environment safe. It is our choices as to how we will dispose off waste, however it is always in our best interest to take a look at all of the options that are available before making the choice.
As human populations grows so does the demand for consumption of resources and consumer goods too. When not properly disposed off, improper disposal of garbage accumulate quickly and pose significant health risks for residents. The increased volume of trash thrown haphazardly threatens standards of hygiene of our surroundings. Improper disposal of trash jeopardizes the health of both human and animal residents in towns, cities and entire nations. Waste and garbage containing organic matter, such as food particles, frequently attracts scavenger animals.
As we don’t have street dogs it is only our domesticated dogs that are hunting over this mound of trash for any palatable item to satisfy their animal instinct. These animals find their way into loosely secured trash bins, scattered filth and inviting the spread of bacteria and pathogens in the process and generating more foul smell in the process. Improperly disposing waste also causes aesthetic harm, as unsightly piles of trash build up in communities shows the reality of our mindset. To avoid contributing to the growing problem of trash disposal, recycling and reducing consumption of packaged items is a good place to start. A primary objective of waste management today is to protect the public and the environment from potentially harmful effects of waste. Some waste materials are normally safe, but can become hazardous if not managed properly. Every individual, business, or organization must make decisions and take some responsibility regarding the management of his or her waste. Public attitudes also play a pivotal role in decisions about waste management. The greatest impetus for waste prevention will likely come from the public. Through the growth of the responsible society, information and knowledge about these and other environmental issues will increase. This should result in continuing evolution towards more efficient and environmentally sensitive waste management. There are other ways to be more environmentally friendly with your garbage disposal as well.
For example, they may be more expensive for the time being, but your trash collection company will surely appreciate knowing that you use biodegradable trash bags to dispose off your waste each week. No matter what type of bags you use, however, proper garbage disposal practices also involve thinking about your trash collector. Being conscious of the people who remove our trash from our curb every day and making sure to put it out properly each time we throw out our garbage. I have seen the DMC workers without wearing masks or gloves which put their health at risk and wonder how they can manage that .Having no loose garbage bags and putting all of your trash in cans that have lids helps to ensure that neither animals nor weather will affect your trash collector’s ability to do his or her job. Also taking the time to separate your trash from your recyclables and putting them in their designated containers helps to keep the collection process a smooth and efficient one. Or instead of throwing at every open spaces, Dimapurians can start collecting trash in a trash cans with house numbers and bring them when the DMC sanitary workers come early morning and let them take away. They can return it by keeping them at the colony council halls or colony councils can put a chowkidar or someone incharge return them house-wise just like some Supply Colony boys were doing last year with a handcart. Imagine if DMC workers take a week off what will Dimapur become? Let us know our responsibilities too. We are very good at showing off. Why not show others that we too can keep our city clean by throwing wastes in our neighbourhoods in a more responsible way.
