MLA demands better management at Lower Martam garbage dump

THREATENS TO STALL DUMPING IF IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT MADE
GANGTOK, 04 Aug: Martam-Rumtek MLA, Dr. Mechung Bhutia of Sikkim Krantikari morcha, announced today that he will be forced take drastic actions like not allowing any more dumping at the garbage dump at Lower Martam if the State Government continued to ignore the plight of the people living around the area. Addressing a press conference today, Dr. Bhutia demanded prompt action from the government to redress the solid waste management procedure and process at Lower Martam. He wants this yard to maintained as per prescribed scientific processes and with the use of technology available.
Addressing the media, Dr. Bhutia announced that if the government did not take proper action to deal with what he sees as “hazardous” conditions and establish proper solid waste management at the site, he will forced to take strong steps like not allowing the dumping of waste at the site from 10 August onwards.
At present more than 40 tons of solid waste is dumped in the Lower Martam dump site everyday with even hospital and chemical waste from the pharmaceutical companies being dumped without following any procedures of solid waste management, the MLA contends.
This irresponsible dumping, he adds, has created an environment and health risk in the area. At present, four villages - Lower Martam, 14th Mile, Nimtar and Mangthang – are affected and are beset with a veritable housefly epidemic even as diseases like cholera and other heath complaints have been reported in larger numbers from the said villages, he alleged.
Dr. Bhutia informs that the people of the area have been complaining for the past five years but have received neither assistance nor solace.
He emphasized on the need for human health mapping of these areas immediately, and urged the State government to take immediate action to ensure proper dumping of solid waste.
He also accused the State Pollution Control Board of negligence in monitoring the environmental aspects in of the solid waste dumping site.
It is also pertinent to mention here that the recycle machine which was install 8 years ago was not functional since it was installed for a month and either the state Urban Development not the Municipal Corporation has taken responsibility on it.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board, Implementation Status of Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling ) Rules, 3013 says that Municipal Authorities shall ensuring that the Municipal solid wastes to be handled as per the rules, seeking authorization from the State Pollution Control Board for setting up waste processing and disposal facility including landfills, furnishing annual report and complying with the Schedule I, II, III and IV of the rules as mandatory.
However, the state government has not implemented the said rules in the state of Sikkim nor has demarcated Sikkim solid waste management into any of the four scheduled as mandatory norms.