Road converted to dumping site

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Feb 15: While keeping one’s homes, residential compounds, hotels or shops neat and clean, many people have been disposing of waste materials and garbage on streets, into rivers and other public places.  
Some people have conveniently converted public roads into garbage dumping sites. One such road is the road which runs just off Manipur University campus and connects NH-102 (Imphal-Moreh highway) to Liwa Lambi.  
The road has been conveniently transformed into a convenient dumping site for domestic wastes and wastes generated from hotels, fast food stalls and chicken centres.
Waste materials and garbage packed in polythene bags, cement bags and other containers can be seen thrown on the roadside.
Moreover, leftover food items from nearby hotels and fast food stalls are also disposed of along the road on a daily basis. This has rendered the surrounding atmosphere nauseatingly offensive, thereby breeding serious health hazards.
It is not only this particular road, cases of people disposing of plastic bottles, plastic wastes, glasses and other household garbage at public places can be seen in different areas.
Chicken feathers, fish scales and human hairs generated from chicken centres, fish centres and barber shops are found disposed of on road sides after packing them in polythene and other bags.  
Regarding the disposal of waste material and garbage along the road which runs beside Manipur University campus and connects NH-102 to Liwa Lambi, some people who go for morning and evening walks along the road every day told The Sangai Express that a large number of students, teachers and staff of Catholic School as well as Manipur University travel along the particular road every day.
Moreover, many people take morning and evening walks along the road every day, they said.
With all kinds of waste materials and garbage including chicken, feathers, fish scales and human hair disposed of along the road, the air is filled with a highly offensive stench. People cover their mouth and nose while passing through the road, they said.
Once in a while waste materials are removed and the road looks clean but it never lasts long. After a few days, waste materials and garbage start piling along the roadside.
The joggers asserted that waste materials and garbage are disposed of on the road either late the night or in the wee hours.
Disposal of waste materials and garbage on public places like streets while keeping their own homes, shops and hotels clean reflects either selfish character or lack of civic sense or both, they said.
Every member of the society has a responsibility in making the society progressive and developed.
Pointing out that many people from different parts of India and abroad come to the State for different purposes, the joggers underscored the importance of cultivating a healthy habit of disposing of waste materials at proper places, and enhancing the sense of hospitality.
Wastes and leftovers from chicken centres, fish centres, hotels and fast food stalls contaminate the environment and pose serious health hazards.
Progress and development will always remain a far cry without civic sense, they said.
They also expressed keen desire for all families including those running hotels, fast food stalls, chicken centres, fish centres, barber shops etc to enrol themselves with NGOs engaged in waste collection and disposal by paying a small monthly fee.    
Moreover, waste materials other than plastic bottles are seen thrown in plastic bottle banks which are exclusively meant for plastic bottles. It seem everyone is acting according to their desire and whim. This is one major reason for the State’s inability to move forward, the joggers said. It will not be right to blame the Government for all these maladies. The State can progress and develop only when the Government and the citizens walk hand in hand, they added.