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DIGBOI: Indiscriminate dumping of garbage into a refinery-linked drainage channel at Anandapara has sparked serious environmental and public safety concerns, with the Digboi Municipal Board (DMB) warning that continued civic negligence could derail ongoing efforts to transform Digboi into one of Assam’s cleanest and most beautiful oil towns.
A recent inspection by the municipal authority revealed a large quantity of plastic bottles, thermocol, food containers, and other domestic waste choking the drain at Anandapara, one of Digboi’s most densely populated residential localities. The drain, which traverses the township, forms part of the AOD Refinery drainage network and is regarded as a sensitive infrastructure requiring constant monitoring and maintenance.
Municipal officials cautioned that the accumulation of solid waste not only obstructs the natural flow of water and aggravates the risk of waterlogging during the monsoon, but also creates unhygienic conditions that could pose serious health hazards to nearby residents.
Expressing concern over the recurring incidents, Digboi Municipal Board Vice Chairperson Dimpi Sonowal lamented the unchanged mindset of a section of residents, saying such irresponsible behaviour threatens to undermine the municipality’s sustained cleanliness drive.
“At a time when the local legislator and the Digboi Municipal Board are jointly formulating and implementing mechanisms to make Digboi one of the cleanest and most beautiful oil towns in Assam, such reckless dumping of garbage is deeply disappointing. The success of these initiatives ultimately depends on the active participation and civic sense of the people,” she said.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, Sonowal reminded that the Anandapara drain is directly connected to the AOD Refinery network and carries inflammable petroleum residues, making it a highly vulnerable corridor. She recalled that a devastating inferno had once erupted in the same drainage channel, causing extensive damage to the densely inhabited Anandapara locality.
“People must not forget the lessons of the past. Dumping combustible waste into a refinery-linked drain is not merely an act of littering—it is a serious threat to public safety. Such irresponsible practices at vulnerable locations must become socially unacceptable and be completely taboo,” Sonowal asserted.
Furthermore, she emphasised that while citizens have every right to demand a clean, healthy, and beautiful town, they also have an equal responsibility to protect it. She appealed to residents to refrain from dumping waste into drains, roadsides, and other public spaces and instead make proper use of designated waste disposal facilities.
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