By Rajkumar Bobichand
A city reflects how civilized, cultured and developed the society is. It also further reflects how eco-friendly and people-friendly the city is. We all know that cities have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing and transportation. The concentration of development greatly facilitates interaction between people and businesses, creating numerous business commuters travelling to urban centres for employment, benefiting both parties in the process.
That is why policy makers, city managers and their agents, in many parts of the world, at their level best keep their cities not only neat and clean but also eco-friendly and convenient not only to the civic populace but also to the visitors from outside the city.
The legislation of Manipur Municipalities (Cleanliness and Sanitation) Bye-Law 2011 is a good decision. The effort to keep Imphal, the capital city of Manipur neat and clean by announcing the enforcement of the Imphal Municipal Council Bye-Law (Cleanliness and Sanitation) 2011 by the Chairman of the Imphal Municipal Council on 8 April 2012 after its publication in the State Gazette is quite natural. This step follows after the failure of the drive against improper disposal which was conducted as a part of Zero Garbage Campaign which was taken up by the Imphal Municipal Council in 2010. The Zero Garbage Campaign was launched by chief minister Okram Ibobi on August 12, 2010 with aim of creating awareness among the people to keep Imphal city neat and clean. The authority claimed that the “Zero Garbage” campaign was not effective enough on account of lack of understanding on the part of the people. Here a number of logical questions come up. Has the authority introspected about the failure and studied not to repeat the same? Why there is a lack of understanding on the part of the people? Are the public who are part of the aged old culture of maintaining hygiene by dumping organic wastes into lukhaak koms (dumping pits) and using amaangsangs (toilets) maintained at their homes becoming unhygienic? Are the civic populace and commuters of Imphal city too irresponsible to keep their city neat and clean?
Now, in another trial and error method in addition to the irregular traffic regulation, the Imphal Municipal Council’s four vehicles fitted with bells would pick up waste materials and garbage from Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel every morning and evening with effect from 9 April. The authority also asked the populace that each shop should keep two dust bins, including one of green colour; Waste materials which can be used as manure after decaying should be put in the green dust bin; Other wastes which are non-perishable should be kept in the other dust bin; and Shopkeepers should put both the dust bins in the IMC`s pick-up vehicles when they come for their daily rounds.
To keep the order, it has also been announced that those people who violate the law would be punished. Under the bye-law, anyone found littering or disposing waste materials, at unsuitable places would be pulled up with the help of police and penalised by imposing fine. Similar punishment would be imposed against people found urinating, bathing, feeding cattle, washing vehicles or doing laundry or defecating at improper places.
BUT the big question is – Have the city managers constructed enough toilets and dustbins at proper places where people can easily access. There are no enough toilets and dustbins at proper places in and around the Khwairamband Keithel including Paona Keithel and Thangal Keithel. The gallies remain substituting public toilets and the roads still functioning as dustbins in Imphal City. The policy makers and city managers must clearly understand that sanitation is the key to keep a city neat and clean. Just making a law and the announcement to enforce it would not bring miracle. A holistic approach with concrete and proper planning is necessary.
Again, under the law, person(s) who disposed waste products at improper places can be detained by any person and be handed over to the authority of the Imphal Municipality Council or to the nearby police. But when it come into reality, it will create more misunderstanding s amongst public even may lead to crime.
The prolonged construction of the sewerage system makes the city dustier and dirtier than the disposing of waste solids at improper places. The traffic regulation plays a key role in keeping a city neat and clean, eco-friendly and people friendly. But the present irregular traffic regulations going on trial and error basis without proper study and planning makes the city more chaotic by creating more inconveniences to the public.
The policy makers and city managers of Imphal and their agents should understand that it is not an infrastructural change which can be made by force if you have space and money even though the public resist. Nevertheless, to bring about a change in the society, to keep Imphal City neat and clean needs infrastructures which will constitute major part of the context. Because change is the most difficult process which people resist most of the time. Change needs to be brought about over time through a holistic approach. Because attitude, behaviour and context are inseparably interconnected. To help the people change their attitude and behaviour of disposing waste products and urinating in public places, proper infrastructures at proper places should be constructed and maintained as good as opening toll tax collection centres and parking areas to collect taxes. It is time to give up the trial and error syndrome.
