Itanagar SWM NABARD
To address the present condition and to generate mass awareness for clean and green Itanagar ENVIRON (an NGO which is largely working on solid waste management in NE region) is conducting a pilot project in Itanagar in association with Capital District Administration which is sponsored by NABARD, Itanagar.
In this respect ENVIRON have conducted different community awareness meeting along with promotion of paper bag, drawing, play card and speech competition in the schools and distribution of litterbin in the schools for changing the habit of use and throw and to use litterbin among the students, mass awareness rallies etc.
Moreover, ENVIRON have also erected 10 nos. street sign boards along with litterbins including a hoarding and continuous 7 days advertisement in the News Paper and appeal the citizens not to through garbage outside the litterbin and to use litterbin for clean and green Itanagar.
Apart from these ENVIRON have organized different awareness meting among the rag pickers to organize rag pickers community and initiated the activities of collection of plastic bottle from roadside, drain and dust bin. For better collection activities ENVIRON is also planning to establish a “PET Bottle Compression Unit” at Naharlagun through a local business person.
In this connection ENVIRON have conducted a survey on present status of non-biodegradable solid waste collection by the rag pickers.
Moreover ENVIRON have also conducted a survey on the present status of house hold level solid waste generation and disposal system along with willingness to pay for door to door solid waste collection programme.
ENVIRON have also constructed a model Vermicompost Unit in the D N College, Itanagar which will be an ideal demonstration unit cum training centre for biodegradable solid waste management under waste to wealth concept.
Learning from the Project and Recommendation:
Pilot project is achieving great success to generate mass awareness on source segregation of non-biodegradable solid waste from the biodegradable solid waste and to use of litterbin among the community.
As per the research of ENVIRON, once the plastic and other non-biodegradable solid waste is segregated then biodegradable solid waste in the land field will not create any problem rather it will act as soil conditioner.
Therefore an Integrated Plastic Waste Management is becoming inevitable for the successful solid waste management in Itanagar.
Vigorous awareness generation cum motivation programme will be required for behavioral change of use and through practice. Until and unless people are avoiding “throwaway culture”, solid waste management cannot be achieved. On the other hand legislation of mandatory rules for source segregation and use of litterbin should also be implemented strictly by the administration. There is also need of more number of litter bins at different residential sectors and at markets so that people can throw the waste in it and not in drains and roadside. There is also need of frequent collection of waste from litter bin at regular interval by the concern authority. On the other hand legislation of mandatory rules for use of litter bin should also be implemented strictly.
Solid waste is becoming a major problem of entire Itanagar, where there is an urgent need for an eco-friendly Solid Waste Management. In this respect model vermicompost unit can take a great roll which will be utilized as demonstration unit cum training centre for producing more numbers of vermicompost units to utilize biodegradable solid waste, where more support from the Government will be required.
Accordingly to evaluate the project a seminar was held on 11th March, 2011 at Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar on Challenges on Municipal Solid waste Management, “An analysis of “pilot project on awareness and primary implementation of municipal solid waste management in Itanagar”, organized by Environ, a Guwahati based NGO which was sponsored by NABARD, Itanagar in association with Capital Administration, Itanagar Capital Complex.