Guwahati’s garbage woes: Overflowing bins & choked drains raise health concerns

Guwahati, Sept 3: Guwahati, the proud gateway to the Northeast, is fast losing its charm to an issue that has been ignored for far too long garbage. Overflowing bins, irregular waste collection, and indiscriminate dumping are turning this fast-growing city into a public health and environ-mental hazard. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), despite repeated promises and schemes under the Swachh Bharat Mission, has failed to create a regular, scientific waste management system.

Heaps of waste are dumped daily in open spaces, markets, and roadside corners. What were once lively neighbourhoods are now plagued with foul smell, polluted groundwater, and swarms of insects that put residents at constant risk of disease. Mothers worry about children playing outdoors, shopkeepers complain of declining business due to the stench, and locals feel abandoned by the very authorities meant to protect them. From Beltola to Maligaon, from Kahilipara to Panbazar, the story is the same garbage piles up unchecked, rots in open drains, and blocks the natural flow of water, leaving the entire city gasping under the weight of neglect.

The consequences are visible every monsoon when Guwahati faces the nightmare of flash floods. While excessive rainfall and unplanned construction add to the problem, it is garbage-choked drains that bring the city to a standstill. Plastic bottles, polythene bags, and food waste clog the Bharalu river and smaller channels, leaving rainwater with nowhere to go. The result: hours of traffic jams, homes submerged, and crores of rupees in damages. For residents, this is not just inconvenience - it is trauma repeated year after year.

The garbage crisis continues because Guwahati lacks a structured, long-term approach to waste. Garbage collection by GMC is irregular and unsystematic, with no fixed schedule followed in many neighbourhoods. In some areas, trucks come once in three days; in others, residents wait a week. This unpredictability forces people to dump waste on roadsides or into drains. Equally serious is the lack of segregation at source. Unlike cities such as Indore or Mysuru, where household separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, Guwahati collects everything mixed. Once organic food waste, plastics, and hazardous items are thrown together, recycling becomes almost impossible. Instead of resource recovery, everything is dumped in bulk, creating more pollution.

Another weakness is the absence of a sanitary landfill. The semi-residential localities in Guwahati are treated as makeshift dumping grounds, a practice that is both unsafe and unfair. Leachate from rotting garbage contaminates groundwater, while open burning releases toxic smoke that worsens the city's already deteriorating air quality,

Finally, there is public apathy. While civic bodies are at fault, many citizens too treat waste disposal casually. Streetside dumping, careless use of single-use plastic, and reluctance to adopt composting remain. widespread. Without a sense of civic responsibility, even the best systems collapse. Thus, a combination of irregular collection, weak enforcement, lack of infrastructure, and low civic sense keeps Guwahati trapped in a cycle of garbage.

The crisis can be solved but only through a strong, multi-pronged approach. The Assam governrnent and GMC must treat waste management as a priority, not an afterthought.

First, door-to-door collection with segregation at source must be made compulsory. Every household should be given two bins: green for biodegradable waste, blue for non-biodegradable. GMC must ensure daily collection monitored through GPS tracking of vehicles to prevent lapses. Citizens should have access to a mobile app to lodge complaints about missed pickups or illegal dumping. Second, the government must establish a proper sanitary landfill outside residential zones. This site should be scientifically engineered with protective lining, leachate treatment, and methane capture systems to minimize environmental impact. Alongside, waste-to-energy plants and recycling units must be developed to reduce dependence on land-fills. Plastic recycling and composting facilities should be integrated into the system. Third, strict penalties must be imposed on those who dump waste irresponsibly. Littering should attract fines, while repeat offenders-including businesses-should face stricter punishment.

At the same time, incentives should reward positive behaviour. Housing societies that adopt zero-waste practices, schools that run composting pits, and markets that segregate waste should be recognized publicly and given rebates. Fourth, public awareness campaigns are essential. Citizens need to understand that waste management is not only the government's responsibility but also theirs. Community-led programmes in schools, localities, and marketplaces can build a culture of cleanliness. Involving NGOs, student unions, and resident welfare associations will make these campaigns more effective.

Fifth, the city must adopt decentralized composting units. Large establishments like hotels, hospitals, universities, and markets generate enormous amounts of waste daily. Instead of pushing everything to GMC trucks, these institutions should be mandated to process biodegradable waste onsite, turning it into compost for agriculture and gardening. This will significantly reduce the load on the municipal system. Finally, learning from other cities is crucial. Indore, ranked India's cleanest city, succeeded through strict segregation, community participation, and daily collection. Guwahati can adapt such models to its own context. If smaller cities can transform themselves, so can Assam's capital.

Guwahati cannot dream of becoming a smart city while drowning in its own waste. A clean city is not just about aesthetics-it is about public health, environmental sustainability, and civic pride. Left unchecked, garbage will continue to choke drains, worsen floods, spread disease, and damage the city's image as the gateway to the Northeast. The government must act decisively, investing in infrastructure, enforcing laws, and engaging citizens. But citizens, too, must change their mindset and habits. Cleanliness is not only a duty of the State; it is a collective responsibility. If Guwahati rises to this challenge, it can become a model city for the region. If it fails, it risks being remembered not for its hills, temples, and culture, but for the stench of garbage. The choice lies with all of us.