Mangaldai residents left in lurch after waste-disposal system abruptly terminated

Mangaldai, Nov. 9: The residents of the Mangaldai municipal area have been facing an unprecedented crisis of daily garbage disposal over several days due to the abrupt cessation of door-to-door garbage collection services by the NGO which was under contract with the urban local body.

The move has left taxpayers frustrated and concerned about the lack of a reliable waste management system. Taxpaying denizens are bearing the brunt of the situation, with many waiting for several days at a stretch for garbage-collection vans.

"We pay our taxes on time, but the basic services are not being provided," said Bhadra Kanta Sarma, a resident of Ward no. 4 who is a senior retired government official. "The garbage is piling up, and it is becoming a health hazard. We're worried about the spread of diseases," he added.

Similarly, the 'bin-less cleaning' concept of the municipal authorities has left ward no. 1 residents in the lurch and they have been struggling to dispose of household waste for over a month or so. The removal of permanent dustbins without viable alternatives has aggravated the situation.

Although the authorities claim that sufficient dustbins are available for household collections, along with mobile dustbins for special events, this is merely a temporary measure.

"We are in a pitiable condition. Though we consider ourselves to be first-class citizens, we are compelled to drop our household litter in open public places," said an irked retired senior medical officer, Dr Phanindra Kr Choudhury, who is a resident of the locality where the municipality board's office is situated.

The situation has sparked widespread outrage, with residents taking to the social media to express their discontent.

"The urban local body needs to take immediate action to resolve this issue," said Amarjit Sandilya, a citizen of Ward no. 3. "We can't live in a city where garbage is strewn everywhere even after we regularly pay our taxes and fees for garbage collection," he asserted.

Meanwhile, on being met on Monday, Kallol Deka, executive officer of the municipal board, said that the Guwahati-based NGO concerned - People's Development Organisation-which was involved in a one-year non-financial contract with the civic body, expressed its inability to continue its service, citing financial losses due to poor collection of user fees. This has left the authorities scrambling to find a full-proof mechanism to collect and dispose of waste materials.

Deka is, however, hopeful that they will be able to resume this service soon. "We have given the NGO one month's time to rethink and resume its service. Otherwise, we will have to explore another option," he said. He further informed that since the NGO had withdrawn its service nearly a month ago, the municipal board has been carrying out the responsibility of collecting garbage on its own.

It has come to light from the information of the authorities that the municipal board has 50 cleaning staff on its payroll. On the other hand, several vehicles meant for carrying garbage are not in working condition. Only five vans, one tractor, and four battery rickshaws are in running condition. Moreover, three vans (auto tripper) and four battery rickshaws are in need of repair. Out of the two cesspool-cleaning vehicles for semi-solid waste, only one is functional.

"We're working on a temporary solution to address the issue. But finding a sustainable solution will take time," observed Kallol Deka. In the meantime, he has appealed to the local citizens to cooperate with the civic body and bear with the situation until a permanent solution is implemented.

The residents are seeking a reliable door-to-door garbage collection system to address the crisis. This will ensure timely waste disposal and maintain community hygiene. The current situation is not only affecting the daily life of the residents, but also posing health risks due to the accumulation of waste materials.

- By Mayukh Goswami