Linesmen grappling with infamous Dimapur waste

DIMAPUR — The indiscriminate dumping of solid and wet waste on pavements, roadsides and open spaces in Dimapur has not only been a nuisance to the residents and motorists but also causing inconvenience to linesmen, who have to climb the electric poles to restore power.

Sharing the challenges posed by rampant dumping of waste, a lineman working with the Nagaland Power department in Dimapur, lamented the dumping of waste below the utility poles and transformers, which pollutes the environment and emits an unbearable foul smell.

But we are compelled to enter the area and carry out our duties as public servants, he said.

‘We spend most of our time high up on electric poles, repairing cables and connecting lines, while our colleagues assist us from the ground. The waste problem is not new; we have been grappling with it for years. Unfortunately, as we do not raise the issue, people may not realise the difficulties we endure while repairing power lines,’ said another lineman.

Besides this, people residing in multi-storeyed buildings pack their trash in plastic bags and discard them from their balconies. These bags get entangled with the cables and wires, making us clear them during fieldwork, he added.

The linemen face an even greater challenge during the monsoon season, as working in the rain amid the garbage poses a risk to their health and safety.

‘Working amid highly contaminated waste, we are exposed to health hazards. Linemen, who are vulnerable to unseen unfortunate incidents, have to endure the debris,’ said another lineman. 

The public should also be sensible in dumping their waste, particularly the shopkeepers who haphazardly dump waste on the roadside, mostly beside the utility poles and transformers. The respective ward chairmen or councils should also ensure that such practices are checked and keeping their areas clean,’ he added.  

When asked about the worst littered areas in Dimapur, the linemen replied that there are numerous localities but areas like Sewak road, GS road, Bata Charali, Golaghat road, etc. require urgent attention.

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