Guwahati: Northeast India, the land of the rising sun has a good number of freshwater sources. However, it is slowly decreasing in number due to the unavailability of any waste management system or a wastewater treatment plant. All of these wastes accumulate in lakes, rivers, ponds, and wetlands. Around 85 per cent of the waste in the North East is dumped without further processing and treatment. The waste is burned down in areas near to the water bodies or forests.
The municipalities in North East India lacks in technical knowledge as well as the political commitment of the local elected representatives. The staff members lack in adequate training and exposure in their work, as no such training is organised.
What further adds to the problem of mismanagement is the technology used by the state. In India, many believe in "Bigger is Better.' However, one seldom understands that it is equally important to strengthen the existing system, and putting more efforts in and integrating the informal sector in the collection and recycling of wastes.
Another reason is the false belief of the municipal boards in the big contractors or large companies. When a tender related to something is out, most people prefer bigger companies. They would put out the tenders which can only be applied by bigger groups, keeping the small and good players out of the sight. However, it is evident as various studies have shown that even after employing large companies, very few cities made it to the cleanest city list.
There is a need for the state to reform its municipal governance along with the building capacity of the lower staff of the municipal systems. As long as we do not see a commitment from the concerned administration, the Swachh Bharat Mission of the country will not succeed.