Poor condition of dumping ground in Silchar irks citizens

FROM OUR Correspondent

Silchar, Oct 12: It has been estimated that total amount of waste generation in Silchar town is 85 MT (Metric Ton) per day and considered second largest after the city of Guwahati. One such problem is related to magement of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). In this regard, members of the NGO, Sabuj Sangha Club which is at Meherpur of this town, based on scientific and technical report on waste magement and waste dumping ground of the town by Mohara Choudhury, a researcher and environmentalist, Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur of University, have produced a number of recommendations in order to mage solid waste at a meeting held recently.

There are 28 wards in the Silchar municipal board and the town has been plagued with a number of problems which is associated with its fast pace of development. Meherpur is the fil disposal site that is located at a distance of 2.0km away from the Municipal town boundary and is also known as Municipal trenching ground. Municipal dumping site of SMB is generally known as Kuarpar or ga Punji area that is the only dumping site of Silchar Mini City. This area lies on Silchar-Hailakandi road and its connects road links of some very important institutions like Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Polytechnic, NIT and Assam University along with a number of nursing homes.

 It has been observed that the dumping ground, situated around 300-400 meter from the main road, is uncontrolled, unscientific and non-segregated in respect of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. The present dumping site is surrounded by Meherpur and Ghungoor Gaon Panchayat road area and is directly affecting ga Punji, Kuarpar road, Birbal Bazaar, Ath Camp, Migrant Camp, Polytechnic, R Goala LP School, Union Floor Mill, Nightingale Hospital and Medinova Nursing Home and the Sun City residential building project. The total inhabitants around the dumping site are around 12,000 and they are directly or indirectly suffering from the adverse effect of this site. It has been suggested that Silchar being a town where there is a good scope of biogas production from the wastes in average, almost 95% waste is biodegradable which is very suitable for such project.

 It has also been suggested that use of highly sophisticated mechanical incinerator for residue and smoke free waste combustion and public awareness for the citizens regarding waste magement and involvement of NGOs can improve the scerio within no time. The members of the NGO have requested administration as well as the citizens to join hands and make Silchar another Mawlinlong, which is the cleanest village in Asia.