GUEST COLUMN
ASHISH GARG
Dehradun ranked 62nd in the recent Swachh Survekshan report 2024- released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)- while moving up 260 slots from its 317th ranking in 2017. Though it is a remarkable improvement, piles of garbage mixed with harmful plastics and polythene, the sight and visuals of garbage on roadsides, in drains, rivers, forests and other places is still common. A wide-ranging opinion is that Dehradun has turned into a city of filth, stench, burning garbage, rivers covered with waste and ugly sight of animals satiating their hunger at these and in turn getting badly hurt by swallowing plastics and other dangerous materials.
Efforts of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun in the past were marred by failed attempts to ensure effective door to door garbage collection from homes due to shortage of required number of vehicles, almost negligible segregation at residences and commercial complexes in 100 wards under its control. As learnt, the corporation is trying hard to mobilise more vehicles to meet the shortfall and enhance manpower for door-to-door garbage collection. As usual the authorities are blamed for the filthy condition of Dehradun due to many garbage vulnerable points. A pertinent question which emerges is whether the MCD alone is responsible for this menace.
Though undoubtedly door to door waste collection is a prime responsibility of the MCD, the citizens are also meant to carry out for their share of responsibilities for proper segregation of waste at their homes. Segregation of waste at source, which is generally neglected, is an essential activity for any effective waste management of a city. Ranked first in the Swachhta Survekshan for the seventh time, Indore, along with Chandigarh and Lucknow ranked second and third respectively, ensured source segregation apart from establishing a sound waste management infrastructure. In contrast, segregation of waste in Dehradun at every household is negligible. Few exceptions are Kewal Vihar colony at Sahastradhara Road, Sidharth Paradise Apartments and few others where about 70 per cent of the residents have been segregating waste at source and disposing it to proper recycling points to Material Recovery Facilities and through other waste recyclers.
There is a need to understand the role of the municipal authorities and the public to understand the sanitation issue properly. The people of Dehradun generate about 450 metric tonnes of garbage daily. The MCD has a crucial role and has some key responsibilities such as:
§ Waste management infrastructure: The corporation has to provide adequate waste collection infrastructure, including land forward wise waste management centres, vehicles, CCTVS and disposal facilities to collect segregated waste collection from households, commercial areas and public spaces.
§ Waste segregation: It has to implement and enforce waste segregation practices, including separate collection of organic, recyclable and hazardous waste.
§ Public awareness and education: The MCD must conduct awareness campaigns and educate citizens about proper waste management practices and their importance.
§ Enforcement and monitoring: It has to enforce waste management regulations and monitor compliance to prevent littering and improper waste disposal.
§ Community engagement: The authorities must engage with citizens, NGOs, community groups and other stakeholders to promote participation in waste management initiatives.
§ Infrastructure maintenance: MCD must maintain cleanliness infrastructure, including public toilets, waste treatment plants and disposal facilities.
The people of Dehradun too have to play a vital role in waste management. Here are some key responsibilities:
§ Segregation of waste at source: The people must separate waste into categories like organic, recyclable and hazardous.
§ Proper disposal: They must dispose of waste in designated bins and avoid littering.
§ Reduce, reuse, recycle: Citizens must adopt practices that minimise waste generation and promote sustainable living.
§ Participation in waste management programmes: People must engage with local initiatives like composting, recycling drives and community clean-up events.
§ Awareness and education: Citizens must educate themselves and others about proper waste management practices and their importance.
§ Feedback and suggestions: They must provide feedback to local authorities on waste management services and suggest improvements.
To reduce the load on the landfill at Shishambada and reduce garbage in public places, each and every household, shop keeper and commercial establishment has to mandatorily segregate waste at its end and deliver to respective designated municipal vehicles for its proper recycling. For example, plastic waste would go to the recycling plant and wet waste for composting units. For (Residual Fuel Waste), the authorities must set up Waste Management Centres (WMCs) by allotting land for segregated waste collection at all the ward levels, thus decentralising the waste disposal system which is at present sending cumulative collected waste to the centralised landfill at Shishambara which is huge waste of energy and a high carbon footprint activity. RDF can go to Shishambada from where it is sent to cement factories or other industrial units to be used as a fuel. The MCD must adopt an approach to lift dry waste once a week by deputing a separate vehicle only for this purpose. Other vehicles lifting other waste should refuse to receive dry waste daily and only take wet waste with RDF in a separate compartment. The municipal staff must be trained to carry out this operation.
Once this process sets in, it would be prudent to ensure stricter control at the dumping sites on each roadside location and corners with monitoring through CCTV network and sending segregated waste directly to strategically located WMCs for further minute segregation. There is a need to engage and employ low-income group and ragpickers providing them with employment. This would also reduce Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) which are a common sight, especially causing embarrassment to the authorities through social media reels. Minimising GVPs would automatically considerably enhance Doon’s beauty. This would also improve the ranking of Dehradun on ‘direct observation’ -one of the four parameters to rank urban local bodies- in next survey. As this system gets established, segregation also needs to be enhanced to segregate metal, biomedical waste and e-waste.
Plastic waste is already proven as an acceptable ingredient for pavement of road, increasing its durability and reducing the cost. The MoU between PWD and MCD in Dehradun is a positive step towards reducing plastic waste and an important collaboration between organisations and government agencies working towards the common goal of sustainability and environmental conservation.
Here are some effective tips for the public to reduce waste:
§ Reduce single-use plastics: Avoid using single-use plastics like bags, straws and water bottles. Instead, opt for reusable alternatives.
§ Carry reusable bags: Carry reusable bags when shopping to reduce plastic bag waste.
§ Use refillable containers: Use refillable containers for items like water, coffee and food.
§ Choose products with minimal packaging: Choose products with minimal or biodegradable packaging to reduce waste.
§ Avoid paper waste: Switch to digital documents and bills to reduce paper waste.
§ Compost organic waste: Compost organic waste like food scraps and yard trimmings to reduce landfill waste.
§ Buy in bulk: Buy items in bulk to reduce packaging waste
§ Repair and repurpose: Repair items instead of replacing them, and find creative ways to repurpose old items.
§ Participate in recycling programmes: Participate in IEC (Information, Education & Communication) activities of NGOs and properly sort recyclable materials.
By adopting these habits, we as citizens can significantly reduce their waste output and contribute to a more sustainable environment. Let us hope that with these measures, not only will Dehradun move up in ranking but also become cleaner and more hygienic to live in.
(The author is a climate change educator and founder member of EcoGroup Society, Dehradun; views are personal)
