KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 21: With the ever increasing population and urbanisation over the years, management of solid waste has emerged as one of the biggest challenge in the country. In Nagaland, Kohima with about 1 lakh population, is estimated to generate 65-70 metric tonnes of wastes daily out of which 60-70% are dry wastes.
Wastes not only affect public health, environment and public exchequer but also directly related to climate change. Another major challenge to this ever growing problem is lack of civic sense among the people and ignorance on segregation of wastes.
Presently, the only solution to wastes management is to create, collect and dump, with the challenge of managing wastes left mostly to the municipalities for disposal.
Realising this huge challenge but not an impossible task, the Youth Action for Rural Development (YARD) has organised a workshop on ‘ZEROing our Wastes’ at LCS conference hall, Kohima today and supported by Department of Tourism.
The resource persons were Zero Waste Coordinator (SD), Gangtok, Sikkim, Khushboo Sharma; Gyatsola Bhutia and Yangchen Bhutia volunteers of Zero Waste Himalaya.
Giving an introduction of the workshop Ella Mary, YARD, said ‘in most local dailies, we see people (noble souls) cleaning the garbage created by another and another…. How long can we keep cleaning the wastes generated by mindless people’s activities?’
Landfills are not the solution nor does it have the capacity and technology to function as desired, said Ella and pointed out that there are ways in which each and every citizen including tourists in reducing wastes generation.
The concept of ‘Zero Waste’ comes to focus with the practice of ‘create no wastes,’ which sounds hard and challenging but not impossible, said Ella. The Zero Waste Mantra focuses on – Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Refuse for non-biodegradable and biodegradable items.
Speaking on the theme ‘Zero wastes’ Khushboo Sharma said zero waste isn’t about producing or consuming nothing….it’s about carefully and intentionally designing, producing and consuming without waste as an end product.
Stating her concern on the huge pile of wastes, Sharma has recommended for a zero waste lifestyle by adoption of consuming less and throw less, lest she said if the current consumption and production patters remain the same, by 2050 we will need three planets to sustain our ways of living and consumption.
Also speaking on the occasion, Kohima Municipal Council Superintendent, Zakie Khate explained in detailed some of the waste management works undertaken by KMC as re-cycling unit at Lerie landfill, water re-furbishing at Jotsoma water reservoir, septage management plan at Dzuruzou, AMRUT, a national flagship programme etc, some of which are an undergoing projects.
Highlighting some of the problems and difficulties faced by KMC on solid waste management, Khate said it has only eight garbage trucks for the whole city of Kohima which are as old as 15-18 years, unregulated timings of disposing waste by citizens and also lack of basic waste management among the general populace.
However, he was optimistic that with active and continuous support and participation of individuals, NGOs and other agencies, waste management will be improved to the SWM standard by 2020.
The programme saw the attendance of church leaders, student leaders, Kohima Municipal Council among others.
