Nagaland’s waste crisis: Over 300 tonnes of urban waste daily, rural areas unrecorded

KOHIMA — Nagaland is facing a growing crisis in solid waste management, with urban areas generating over 300 tonnes of garbage daily without proper treatment, while rural waste remains entirely untracked.

This alarming situation came to light during a workshop on ‘composting food waste at home’ under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), organised in Kohima by Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) and Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) on Monday.

According to a report submitted by 39 urban local bodies (ULBs) to the NPCB, urban areas generate 303.85 tonnes of waste per day (TPD). Of this, only 260 TPD is collected, leaving the remaining garbage to accumulate in drains and open spaces.

Yanathung Kithan, Scientist ‘B’ at NPCB, highlighted the severity of the problem. “At the present rate, waste generation is increasing year by year. If we don’t take measures now, it will become a difficult task later on,” he warned.

Kithan pointed out that of the 39 ULBs (three municipalities and 36 town councils) in Nagaland, only Kohima has a scientific treatment plant, which too has been non-functional for 4-5 years. The remaining ULBs resort to open dumping without proper treatment, making waste segregation practically impossible.

Dimapur, one of three municipalities, alone contributes a staggering 90,000 to 100,000 kg of waste daily, with studies by the NPCB revealing that over 50% of it is organic waste.

The situation in rural areas is even more dire, with no established waste management systems and no data on the amount of waste generated. This is particularly concerning given that Nagaland has 1,355 villages according to the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, he said.

Exacerbating the issue, the state is embroiled in over 100 court cases related to environmental and waste management issues under the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Most recently, the NGT took suo moto cognizance of waste accumulation in the Doyang Dam in Wokha district.

The NPCB conducted site visits across ULBs and villages, and observed a common practice of mixing different types of waste, making management more complex and hazardous. Burning mixed waste, Kithan warned, releases harmful toxins and increases cancer risks. He also cautioned that improperly managed waste could contaminate the food chain, posing serious health risks.

To solve the solid waste management problem, he urged citizens to segregate waste at the source, emphasising that this simple step could solve 50% of the problem, as organic and food waste constitute the bulk of solid waste.

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Underscoring the need for individual responsibility, NPCB Member Secretary, K Hukato Chishi, urged citizens to shift their mindset and take ownership of their waste. “Taking care of one’s own waste will bring a cleaner environment and better air quality,” he stated, appealing to everyone to begin segregating waste at home.

Olivi G Chophy, Senior Scientific Assistant at NPCB, linked the state’s air quality issues to public negligence and noted that air pollution is not only affecting the environment but also causing an increase in respiratory illnesses.

She informed that under the National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP), Nagaland has 11 manual monitoring stations and one Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS)—seven manual stations in Dimapur, four in Kohima—and extended coverage in eight other districts: Wokha, Zunheboto, Mokokchung, Phek, Kiphire, Peren, Tuensang, and Mon.

Rongsenben Longkumer, Junior Scientific Assistant at NPCB, spoke about ‘Mission LiFE’ (Lifestyle for Environment), a national initiative promoting sustainable practices like saving energy and water, reducing waste and e-waste, adopting healthy lifestyles, promoting sustainable food systems, and rejecting single-use plastics.

Under the Mission LiFE, NPCB has conducted awareness programmes in 53 schools, 15 colleges, and with various civil society organisations and government departments, she said.

KMC Deputy Chairman, Khrielievi Chusi, assured that the council is actively monitoring waste management projects implemented by the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department, the NPCB, as well as its own projects. He stressed the KMC’s role should extend beyond issuing utilisation certificates, and called for closer coordination among the three agencies to improve service delivery.

Thenusou Sekhose, KMC Councillor and Convener of Sanitation and Water Supply, emphasised that sanitation is a collective responsibility. It is not just the business of KMC or sanitation workers but a collective duty of every citizen, she said, urging all citizens to be part of the solution.

Further, in a practical step towards promoting composting, the NPCB provided 200 composting bins and other necessary materials to the KMC for distribution to households across different wards.

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