[ Apasi Linggi and Indu Chukhu ]
The Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) is grappling with an increasing garbage problem, with heaps of waste piling up in several areas, turning public spaces into unsightly and hazardous zones.
Despite the presence of waste collection services, certain areas remain neglected, contributing to the escalating issue. Stagnant garbage, especially during the summer, becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes, posing a serious risk of diseases such as malaria and dengue.
Simion Dhan, a daily wage labourer living in Model Village, shared his frustration over the situation. “The kachara gari comes daily, but it often misses smaller pieces of garbage. These end up flowing into water channels and get stuck, creating unpleasant smells. In the summer, they become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which is unbearable for people living nearby,” he said.
In addition to Model Village, another area heavily impacted by waste accumulation is the Pachin-Pare bridge on the Bage Tinali-Doimukh road, located by the side of the Pachin river.
Garbage is often seen near the bridge and along the riverbanks, with no apparent effort to clear the trash in such areas. The waste left in these areas flows into the river, further polluting the environment and causing serious harm to the ecosystem. The situation is made worse by the fact that some individuals reportedly dump garbage at night when no one is watching, making it even more difficult to manage.
Though many areas in the ICR suffer from this problem, the places we visited are prime examples of how neglected waste can quickly escalate into a serious issue. The garbage not only harms the environment but also disrupts daily life for the residents.
The rising problem of garbage in the ICR requires immediate and collective action. While authorities must ensure more efficient waste management services and a thorough cleanup of the affected areas, the residents also need to take responsibility for proper waste disposal. Public awareness campaigns should be launched to educate the people about the consequences of littering and the importance of keeping public spaces clean. Stricter penalties for illegal dumping should also be enforced to curb irresponsible behaviour.
If the garbage issue is not addressed soon, the ICR will face long-term environmental damage and increased health risks. A combined effort from both the public and the authorities is necessary to tackle this problem and ensure a cleaner, healthier region for the future.
Speaking to this daily, Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) Commissioner Kego Jilen highlighted one of the major aspects of the unattended garbage, saying that the citizens do not throw the garbage at the stipulated time allotted by the IMC. He said that “waste disposal and the garbage menace are a burning issue and we are trying to find out where the lacunae are.”
He said that a notice has already been issued, urging the citizens of the ICR to dump garbage from 4 am to 9 am in the identified locations when the sanitation vehicles arrive. He said that the IMC has deployed garbage lifters and sweepers in every ward.
Jilen said, “The residents should wrap their generated waste in proper garbage bags and hand it over to the garbage collectors.”
He said that by January three small vehicles will be deployed in the service of the IMC to lift garbage from colonies or lanes that have smaller routes. The IMC commissioner also reflected on the shortage of human resource, “which,” he said, “the corporation is working on.”
He informed also that an assistant engineer (sanitation) “inspects every morning when the garbage vehicles come in for pickup.”
The IMC is monitoring the situation, he said, and gave assurance that the appearance of the ICR would be improved soon. He reiterated that garbage is not dumped in the allocated locations and people recklessly dump garbage in any random location. “Despite this, the IMC vehicles still pick up. However, the people, including officers, still dump garbage at any random time, without following the guidelines of the IMC,” he said.
According to Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, “a magistrate can issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger.” The garbage menace can also be included in it.
When contacted, the Naharlagun EAC said that “no such order of waste management or issue of garbage menace here has been taken up.”
These reporters also noticed many citizens in the capital region loosening their garbage bags or coming with large trash bags in their vehicles and dumping them in the river from over the bridge, particularly when they pass by a road in the late evening or night.
Earlier, in February this year, ICR Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom had announced that the administration would issue show cause notices to the residents and business owners who consider rivers convenient waste disposal sites.
