Trash troubles: Life in the midst of garbage

Dipsikha Devi

(mechdipshikha@gmail.com)

Last year, Guwahati was ranked as the second most air-polluted city in the world, according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report for 2023. Despite numerous news reports highlighting how the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) refutes this claim, it is undeniable that the city’s increasing solid waste generation and poor waste management are contributing significantly to its pollution levels. According to a government report, out of the 1,284 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste generated in Assam, about 575 TPD comes from Guwahati alone. The generation of such a large amount of garbage every day, coupled with poor waste management, paints a grim picture of the dreadful conditions faced by people living amidst the uncollected waste. One such example is Sushmita’s family, which is a resident of Arikati Harijan Colony.  

Towards the end of the narrow alleys and congested settlement of the colony lives Sushmita Chowdhury, a 20-year-old mother from Golaghat, with her husband and in-laws. The entrance to her house is filled with a heap of garbage that has not been disposed of. As cattle and birds scavenge for food, clothes hang to dry on the dumping ground. Sushmita sits with her daughter on the balcony, overlooking a front yard filled with waste. “This is the only entrance to our house; I have been living here for two years. My in-laws have been here for over eight years. I really like the people in Guwahati, but the living conditions are terrible. During the rainy season, we are stuck inside the house. Rainwater mixed with garbage often flows into our balcony,” she says. Both her father-in-law and husband are daily wage labourers, and this place is the best they can afford as their home.

Guwahati has many such places, with Arikati Harijan Colony being just one example. Fancy Bazar, Athgaon, Maligaon, Guwahati Medical College Hill Top, Hatigaon Khijubari, AT Road, and Bhetapara, to name a few, are other areas in the city that have several Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs). Untreated and uncollected waste in these areas poses a great threat to the environment and public health. For example, microplastics, which are basically the wear and tear of clothing and car tyres, cans, and synthetics, get contaminated into the ground water or the nearest water body. These microplastics carry toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, lung, and reproductive diseases. Several reports highlight the heightened risk of breast cancer for women living in areas with elevated air pollution levels. Guwahati, being one of the most polluted cities, reflects this finding, as reported by the ICMR-National Centre for Disease Information and Research, which clearly states that Kamrup Urban has the highest probability of developing breast cancer in females (1 in every 32 females).

The repercussions extend beyond women; chemicals and toxins released by solid waste can also affect children during pregnancy. Nur Jahan, a homemaker from Islampur, shares how the foul smell from nearby GVP during her pregnancy caused immense trouble. Research also indicates that maternal exposure to nanoplastics can lead to brain abnormalities in offspring. These connections emphasise the urgent need for comprehensive waste management strategies to safeguard both the environment and public health in Guwahati.

Echoing this concern, Shirshendu Sekhar Das, an environmentalist from the city, talks about how the increase in solid waste generation in Guwahati is inevitable, but the major problem lies in processing. “Although a biomining project for legacy waste is currently underway, the city still needs an effective plan for processing the fresh waste generated daily. While we are in the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission, we are still working towards the objectives of Phase 1,” he said. On a brighter note, he opined about increasing awareness among people regarding waste segregation. Similarly, Moni Hazarika, a 40-year-old mother and a cook at a local school in Uzaan Bazar, believes that alongside the Urban Local Body (ULB), it is equally important for citizens to actively participate in consciously managing solid waste. “I have started segregating wet and dry waste separately. The kitchen wet waste goes to my garden, and the dry waste goes to our community dustbin, from where the GMC truck collects it,” she said.

Although some areas have community dustbins, many places in Guwahati still lack this facility and suffer from irregular waste collection. On days when the GMC truck doesn’t come, waste piles up in their houses for days. “We follow waste segregation properly. We keep the wet waste separate, the recyclable dry waste, and the rest that can’t be recycled. Since we don’t have a community dustbin in our locality, we rely solely on the GMC truck. There are days when the truck doesn’t come for a week, sometimes even ten days. In such situations, the garbage piles up. While some keep it in their houses, others dump it by the roadside,” explains Pratibha Das (name changed) from Satgaon.

Acknowledging the mounting solid waste issue in Guwahati, Megha Nidhi Dahal, the Commissioner of GMC, shed light on the significant challenges the corporation faces. He underlined the urgent need for proper local infrastructure to ensure efficient garbage collection and processing. Although this infrastructure is currently lacking, he remains optimistic that it will be in place by the end of the year. The commissioner also discussed GMC’s plans to implement a robust door-to-door waste collection system and efforts to tackle irregular waste management across the city. He emphasised that while keeping our homes clean is a priority for everyone, it is equally crucial for citizens to embrace sustainable practices by avoiding littering in rivers and public spaces whenever possible. By working together, he believes Guwahati can achieve a greener future.

The problems are manifold, ranging from a lack of sensitization among people regarding waste segregation to irregular waste collection and processing. Compounding these issues is the rapid population growth rate of Guwahati, exceeding 1% annually, and its urbanisation, which leads to increased generation of solid waste. While the urban local body and different NGOs in the city are working towards Zero Waste Guwahati, it is equally crucial for citizens to practice responsible waste disposal. Indore, in Madhya Pradesh, serves as a prime example, having consecutively ranked as India’s cleanest city for seven years.

A significant factor in this success is the shift in mindset among residents towards proper waste management and collaboration with the ULB in waste segregation. However, Guwahati, on the other side, has a long way to go, as one can often encounter garbage wrapped in plastic hanging from electricity wires, discarded from nearby housing complexes and buildings along the bustling lanes of the city. Such neglect towards solid waste management can put the city at risk of being marred by heaps of garbage in every corner.