Ukhrul, June 16, 2023: Over a month’s worth of garbage is gathering in the open dustbin of Ava Market in the heart of Ukhrul Town.
Piles of bags and carton boxes gathering outside stores in the middle of Viewland Bazaar, waiting for the ADC garbage truck that will not come anytime soon.
Come evening and you will see public burning their day-old wastes beside the road or in the back of the houses.
Meanwhile, Autonomous District Councils (ADC), CEO David Kashungnao along with District Administrators are trying to figure out ways to find solution to the problem of non-availability of land to dispose off the wastes produced by denizens of Ukhrul Town. The town that is ever expanding and population ever increasing.
The issue was bound to happen sooner or later. The local community in Lower Hungpung, worried and concerned with the impact of toxic produced by the open dumping site along National Highway 202, had been complaining and appealing the Small Town Committee (STC) under Autonomous District Councils (ADC) to shift the site elsewhere.
The heart of the issue
Despite a slew of meetings held since October 2022 between Lower Hungpung and ADC over appeals and complains against shifting of dumping site, no solution could be brought. ADC maintained that the plot was theirs to do what they want, while also blaming poor financial status for stalling the shift.
The neighboring land owners, 100 odd fields, and the entire Lower Hungpung population, meanwhile, suffered the brunt of the toxic air and health scare from the open garbage dump.
The impact has left most land owners to abandon the fields, the entire downhill stretch of land contaminated, even the clear spring water source oozes black liquid where once it was a source of clear drinking water for field owners. And the site has become a breeding ground for flies.
“Sochui”, one field owner said whenever they worked in the field, they had to eat inside a net as the place is infested by too many flies and permeated with toxin odour.
Diseased dead animals like pigs, dogs and even cows are being dumped carelessly which added to the misery of the site.
Another major scare was the diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis in lower Hungpung around 2022. Following the diagnosis an awareness campaign was conducted by Malaria department of Ukhrul district hospital.
Environment and health issues aside, the unpleasant odour and smoke bellowed from the site is unsightly even for tourists and visitors in the otherwise beautiful landscape along the NH.
When Ekhon visited ADC Office in Phungreitang, CEO David Kashungnao did not shy away from admitting that they in fact did not follow the prescribed norms as per 2015 Solid Waste Management Plant at the dumping site of Kazipphung. “We bought the spot for dumping site without envisioning new development and progress. Now the site is filled with shreds of broken glasses and that it has become too risky, unhygienic and hazardous for environment and livelihood”, he admitted.
Echoing the villager’s claim, the CEO shared that the neighboring paddy fields are left too toxic to field it, while the smoke from burning rotten garbage has made the air too unpleasant for village folks. While also informing that other private agencies also used the site to dump their garbages.
Many appeals and complains have been made by several Hungpung civil organizations like Lower Hungpung Public Organisation (LHPO), Women of Hungpung Unit for Social Advancement (WHUSA), Thawaijao Hungpung Young Student’s Organization (THYSO) among others in the span of 8 months. However, due to the poor financial status, ADC was in no position to shift to a new place according to David Kashungnao.
Mention may be made that the Garbage Dumping Site in Kazipphung was launched by the then Joint Secretary TA Hills, Manipur Armstrong Pame 8 years ago in April, 2015, for the town’s residents. Three years after the launched, the nearby paddy field began to face the impact of the dumping site and made a complain. When they initially put a complain to ADC, their appeal was silenced in exchanged for employment as well as compensation to few nearby fields.
Over the years the garbage has accumulated and in the absence of waste management, the site became a sore spot for everyone, especially for the lower Hungpung villagers. The adverse environment and health impact forced Hungpung civil societies to formally appealed in October, 2022 to shift the site immediately. The villagers claimed that the appeal remained unheard and unattended.
While the villagers continued to ask ADC to shift, the ADC continued to negotiate for more time. Fed up with the indifferent attitude, the LHPO served an ultimatum to stop the disposal by April, 2023 or face a situation. ADC managed to buy their time and dispose the garbage till 8 May.
What prompted the village members to stopped the truck from dumping the garbage on 8 May, 2023 was the unconcerned and indifferent attitude of the authority, informed Themmayo MK, LHPO President.
That day the truck returned home with load full of garbage. Even as the garbage was kept out in the open and rotting in the process of rain and sun, ADC was reaching out to several well wishers and leaders in the community to let them dump the garbage. It was only after two weeks that they found a person kind enough to dispose the already very stinking garbage”, lamented the CEO.
While the ADC is looking for a new plot to shift, they are facing another dilemma that of land owners refusing to sell the land for dumping purpose. Had they maintain the Kazipphung site with the prescribed norm, would the problem exists at all? The CEO had no answer.
He rather informed us that he tried to get an Incinerator installed at the site through Addl Chief Secretary but LHPO did not approve of the plan.
With mounting complaints, appeals and warnings from concerned village community, the ADC has been constantly calling on the district administration as well as the concerned Minister for necessary help. The CEO expressed hope that in this financial year they will be able to sort the problems.
Meanwhile, Ukhrul Deputy Commissioner Zuringla Kengoo expressed her concerned over the non availability of waste disposal and assured of quick solution to the issue.
Managing the wastes
So how are the clients, especially the shop owners, business owners and households managing their wastes? The best they know how to.
“No we did not inform the public of the issue”, said David Kashungnao on inquiring if the public knows what’s going on.
And whether it would be wise if they were given alternatives to manage while they sort the problems from their end. May be, he mused.
A Bihari shopkeeper told Ekhon that he and others like him are forced to send their thrash in the goods truck bound for Dimapur by paying Rs 400-500 after ADC truck failed to come.
Asuk, a pharmacist informed us that if the garbage truck do not come sooner, he had to take the garbages piled outside his shop to his village in Shangshak. On whether he was satisfied with the services otherwise provided by ADC, he informed that he is not. He felt that the truck is too small for the whole town. Most of the time, they could not even collect my wastes as it was always too full, he claimed.
Perhaps, Ava Market is an exception for STC as they were infact informed of the matter.
When we met Soso Zimik, Chairperson of Ava Market, she mentioned that they were asked to carry their vegetable wastes home for the time being however it was not practical as some of them stayed far away. While their own designated dustbin is collecting wastes each day for the last four weeks, it is already creating an issue for the occupants. When we spoke last, they are planning to meet and discuss the way out.
The eatery shops opposite Viewland Church having no better idea, resorted to burning the wastes by the end of each day.
Conclusion
It is true that the ADC is currently scouting for place and hoping to settle somewhere soon. But as the CEO himself admitted it will not be a matter of days that the new place will be ready to start dumping. The land will have to be developed first and the road must be built.
While CEO, David Kashungnao is hopeful to buy more time from LHPO to dispose the garbages, Hungpung village civil bodies are adamant to go through another hassle with ADC. They certainly seemed to have washed their hands off the office they felt is extremely unperturbed and unconcerned for the welfare of people and environment.
“WHUSA, THYSO, LHPO and its units are clear on our decision about not allowing further disposal of wastes from ADC or any other private parties,” Themmayo MK informed Ekhon with a note of finality.
What could have saved the ADC from this dire situation? From what we observed, perhaps this unfortunate situation could have been avoided had the ADC managed the wastes with a little more concern for environment and of course, people. And take stringent steps in not allowing other private parties to carelessly dump the trash.
The issue has affected all stakeholders including ADC, field owners, Lower Hungpung and denizens of Ukhrul Town in different ways. Perhaps this should be a lesson for ADC to be more cautious and responsible in dealing with garbage in future.
