Concerned over the lack of a proper waste disposal system within Padumphukuri in Dimapur, Eastern Christian College (ECC) conducted a cleanliness drive “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” as its first activity for the year under the initiative of Green Club on Monday, covering Padumphukuri village block-1.
During the cleanliness drive, semester students actively participated in cleaning up drainages and collecting waste materials at the college’s surroundings. Padumphukuri Village Council (PVC), Chumukedima Town Council (CTC) and EAC and administrator CTC also extended their support and co-operation to the drive.
On the sidelines, interacting with the media, ECC environmental studies assistant professor Imlisunep spoke about the disposal system within the college and lamented that the village does not have a disposal site within their vicinity which was one of the main reasons the path from the highway is unhygienic. A shopkeeper in the village, when asked how he handles his garbage, said that it usually gets collected and burnt at the shop’s backyard. Packaging boxes (carton boxes) are usually collected and given or sold to ‘carton collectors’ who visit the shops frequently, he added.
PVC GB, Nokin Longkumer stated that a sanitation committee was formed once to take care of the sanitary needs of the village, but it was dissolved within a year since there was no proper dumping site and no land was provided for the waste to be collected at. Therefore, the council took the initiative to collect and dispose the garbage whenever needed. He also lamented that the council also installed dustbins made of bamboo along the streets but they were destroyed by miscreants, usually at night. According to Longkumer, Padumphukuri village comprises of five blocks with 1519 permanent and more than 500 temporary families.