URBAN ENVIRONMENT IMPROVEMENT ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: AN ATTEMPT BY GOVERNMENT OF SIKKIM

OBJECTIVES

v      Ban on plastic bags was mainly for avoidance of Natural Calamities as Land Slides.

v      To provide clean and healthy urban and rural environment.

STATUS ON SOLID WASTE BEFORE THE ENACTMENT OF THE SIKKIM NON-BIODEGRADABLE GARBAGE (CONTROL) ACT, 1997:-

The total accumulation of solid waste in the capital town of Gangtok is estimated to be 50 MT per day but only a fraction of this quantity is being collected and dumped. The rest are still thrown into the jhora and elsewhere despite restrictions.

v      Shops/Households dumped their solid wastes into permanent community bins or mobile garbage bins provided by the Government. Garbage littered outside were swept by Safai karmacharies and deposited into these bins.

v      The Conservancy staff of the Department collected them from these bins in to the garbage vehicles for transportation to the dumping yard.

v      The solid wastes were thereafter thrown in the valley sides of roads generally as there was no designated dumping yard.

v      Garbage/wastes/spoils were alternatively dumped by the public indiscriminately in to the jhoras (natural permanent drains).

v      Shopping plastic bags were used and littered freely.

v      Because the plastic bags/materials are light weight, rain water carried them along its course but got stuck on the slightest obstruction in the flow. The jhoras were full of them.

v      Drains and sewage pipes got choked or blocked leading to diversion of the discharge and consequential damage to life and property in the valley side which course they undertake naturally in the hills.

v      In the villages, the plastics hindered seeds germination and their growth when they confronted plastics in the soil.

v      Animals often ate them up with fodder leading to consequential ill-health.

v      When burnt it emitted toxic fume in to the atmosphere but were not burnt out totally as the slag still remained. Plastics reportedly do not degrade for over 200 years, and unless it is burnt, the volume does not reduce.

REGULATORY ACTION BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT

The State Government enacted the Sikkim Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1997, on 30^th April, 1997. Salient features of the Act are:-

  §         Prohibiting the throwing of non-degradable garbage in public drains and sewage. (Section 3)

     §         Provision for placement of receptacles and places for deposit of non-biodegradable garbage, and to provide separate dustbins for deposit of non-biodegradable and bio-degradable garbage. (Section 4)

    §         Duty of owners and occupiers to collect and deposit non-biodegradable garbage etc. (Section 5)

     §         Provision for imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to rupees five thousand, or with both. (Section 8)

v      To enhance the effectiveness of the Act, the Sikkim Trade License and Miscellaneous Provisions Rules, 1985, was also amended banning use of plastic bags by Shopkeepers as well as for maintaining separate bins as prescribed for the Bio-degradable and Non-biodegradable / medical wastes depending upon the type of shop.

v      Rules were framed under section 17 of the Sikkim Non-Biodegradable Garbage (control) Act, 1997, after inviting comments of the public andreceiving suggestions from the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The Notification came into effect from 30^th March, 2001. Under the Rules the following provisions have been made:

         §         Division of areas into garbage collection / garbage management zones for the purpose of scavenging and cleaning the garbage. (Rule 3)

         §         Constitution of Garbage Waste Management Committee. (Rule 4)

     §    Provision for different colours and inscription on receptacles/garbage bins. (Rule 6).

        §         Prohibition in littering or throwing of wastes. (Rules 8 and 9)

        §         Power to entry, inspect or execute work. (Rule 11)

v      With the intervention of the High Court of Sikkim, the Sikkim Non-Biodegradable Grabage (Control) Act, 1997 was further amended to provide for compulsory imprisonment for a minimum period of one month and fine of minimum Rs. 5000/- against the guilty.

IMPLEMENTATION/EXECUTION

v      Land was acquired for land-fill and composting where the segregation of bio-degradable and non-biodegradable is undertaken.

v      Before implementation of the provisions of the Act, they were published for information of the general public.

v      Continuous monitoring on the implementation of the provisions of the Act and Rules by Shop-keepers and occupiers was undertaken.

v      The shop-keepers/occupiers were educated as part of the extension programme to motivate them for following the provisions which was beneficial to them as well as the general public.

v      The Safai karmacharies were briefed about the provisions of the Act.

v      Deterrent fines were imposed against those not following the directions and advice of the Government functionaries.

v      Surprise checks were undertaken to ensure that the plastic bags were not being used and where detected,the materials were confiscated and fine imposed.

v      Subsequently a new system to collect garbage from shops, houses of the towns in the National Highway directly from the shops/houses to the garbage collection vehicles was introduced. This was done only after the people being affected by the system were educated through an appeal in a pamphlet form. The people have totally participated in the programme.

v      The use of community bins along the Highway previously provided for deposit of garbage by the cluster of houses around was discontinued.

v      Although the Rules came into effect only from 30^th March, 2001, the Government began acting on the basis of the provisions of the Act itself.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

v      The success in the venture was the public participation.

v      Deliberations, mass media and discussions with the Panchayats and the NGOS led to the successful implementation and the extension of the Act.

v      Consequently this led to formation of Garbage Waste Management Committee to assist and devise the efficient collection and disposal of the waste. The committee comprises of public representative of the area and two responsible persons of the area and the representative of the Department.

BENEFITS

v      The drains and Jhoras and the sewerage lines have free flow and hence reduced chances of calamity.

v      The towns and bazaars are free from plastics and appear clean.

v      Chances of diversion of rain-water due to clogging is almost nil.

v      Awareness among people have increased about the harmfulness of using plastic bags.