Editor,
The residents of D Sector, Naharlagun are facing a lack of proper waste disposal and management system. The residents are left with no option but to dump their waste near the roadside, where a garbage truck arrives in the morning to collect it, but at irregular times. Some people told us to leave the garbage in a truck that’s parked there overnight.
Many of us, especially women, children and elderly citizen, find it difficult to throw waste directly onto the truck due to its height. In such cases bin bags are left at the collection point.
Recently, I had an unpleasant experience, when a man claiming to be a committee member yelled at us for leaving the bin near the truck, using derogatory, demeaning and insulting words like ‘uneducated’ and ‘shameless’, and made a sexist remark. When confronted, he said “Ladki hoke ahsah baat karega?” Verbally abusing and making gender-based comments on our character and dignity. He called us “Dustbin jaise tmlk ka dimag bi ganda hga,” and tried to intimidate us. He threatened to physically harm us and pointed finger at us.
Ironically, one of his friends drank Pepsi and threw the bottle on the ground. When we pointed this out and asked him to tell his friend to pick it up, he had nothing to say.
This incident highlights not just the concern over waste management; it’s more about asserting control and subjugation of women and their voices.
Through this letter I would like to request the IMC to:
# Ensure regular and timely garbage collection.
# Install proper dustbins or containers in designated areas.
# Put up official notice with guidelines and penalties for littering.
# Ensure more inclusivity and encourage participation of community.
# Designate a dumping site for segregation of wet and dry waste, and
# Fix timings to collect waste by IMC workers.
Civic issues cannot be solved by shouting, public shaming, and gender-based insults. They can be handled through holding accountability, proper management system, public cooperation and basic human dignity.
A concerned citizen