Piles of garbage take over Nupi Keithel

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 2 : A growing waste disposal crisis appears to be emerging in the premises of Nupi Keithel, exposing a huge lapse in civic responsibility, sanitation and administrative oversight in the high-traffic market area.
Who is responsible for the piling up of garbage in the symbolic marketplace of Manipur ?
During an on-site inspection by this reporter, a large amount of waste was found discarded around the three main buildings/market complex of the Nupi Keithel.
Plastic wastes, cardboards, food scraps and other refuse have turned some sections of the marketplace into unsanitary dumping sites affecting the health of the vendors and shoppers.
However, no one wants to take responsibility as the vendors inside the building allege the footpath sellers and nearby shopkeepers of being the main contributors to the garbage problem. On the other sides, others point to the vendors inside the market complex, building a blame game.
This exposes the State's improper waste management system and lack of civic responsibility among people who fail to use assigned waste disposal sites in one of the busiest areas of the State.
According to one vendor, the market sees proper cleaning only on "Nongma Panba" (first day of the month as per the Meitei lunar calendar) which is a holiday. This once-a-month cleaning policy leads to the accumulation of garbage and causes sanitation and hygiene issues, she added.
However, concerns go beyond the accumulation of waste.
According to the vendors, some commuters even use the garbage dumping area for urination, avoiding payment for the public toilet situated within the buildings. They further said that authorities clean the market place just for namesake, raising questions over the genuineness of their efforts for the welfare of the Nupi Keithel.
Under such circumstances, the authorities need to urgently implement routine clean-up, set up a proper monitoring system and improve civic awareness.
The situation shines a light on the questionable action of both the authorities and the public who view every corner as a dumping site.