Solid waste treatment plant at Chimpu needs early restoration

Editor,

The solid waste treatment plant in Chimpu has been lying idle since 2014, it was established in 2013 and after some months it stopped functioning due to various reasons. Entire concerned department of solid waste management system of the state must be aware that a huge amount of untreated municipal solid waste is being dumped in an un-engineered dumping zone at Chimpu-Hollongi highway since 2014, which is not at all safe for the people traveling through this path and the people residing at Itanagar and Naharlagun region. It is not only affecting the people but also greatly affecting the flora and fauna nearby.

Continuous dumping in an illogical manner in an open area can cause a great environmental impact such as spreading of foul odor and contaminating groundwater- adversely affecting human health in the downstream area of the dumping zone. Open dumping also provides a place for germs, insects and other vectors to grow and spread causing health problems. Moreover, it is completely against the guidelines of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

The capital complex region has changed a lot in the last 5-6 years both in terms of population as well as in development. Due to this rapid urbanization and population growth, a huge amount of unmanaged municipal solid waste has been generated daily. According to the report submitted by the state’s department of urban development, an MSW waste of 50 MT municipal waste was generated with a population of 95,648 (census 2011 for both Naharlagun and Itanagar). But comparing 2011 and 2021, it is estimated that the MSW waste has doubled in terms of daily production and is affecting the environment because the population has increased and the treatment plant is not functioning since 2014.

For smooth functioning of solid waste management both the government and common public has 60%, 40% responsibility ratio, respectively. But in this present scenario an unhygienic way of waste management is due to the failure of the waste treatment plant of Chimpu which falls under the supervision of the state government.

As an environmentalist and as a concerned citizen, I would request our state government and all concerned departments to kindly initiate the functioning of the waste treatment plant of Chimpu as early as possible. Our beautiful state has been listed in the country’s top 10 dirtiest cities therefore, if proper action is not initiated immediately, we may be listed in top 5 or no.1 dirtiest cities in the coming years.

Itanagar Municipal Corporation has to work harder to remove that tag. We need to ponder upon the health related issues first then we can think of other development activities.

John Yigam

Research Scholar
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, NERIST