GUWAHATI: In a move to curb with the ever-growing problem of waste and its disposal, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has launched an awareness campaign in the city with the aim to promote waste segregation at source. Waste segregation is the process of dividing waste into dry and wet-dry waste includes wood and related products, metals and glass, while wet waste typically refers to organic waste usually generated by eating establishments and heavy in weight due to dampness.
The campaign kicked off on August 13, Monday, when the commissioner of GMC Monalisa Goswami IAS, along with her team, visited SRCB Road in Fancy Bazaar to raise awareness. The team visited around 10 market complexes where they demonstrated how to segregate waste at individual levels. The following day, that is, on August 14, Tuesday, Goswami and her team visited Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Road in Kharguli. There, they paid visit to over 25 households, most of which agreed to take active part in the waste segregation program.
During the awareness campaign, GMC officials also distributed awareness leaflets. The leaflets had information about the NGO that would collect the waste from their wards along with the contact numbers.
“These two areas were specifically chosen to start the campaign from because they’re very vulnerable to waste. At any time of the day, people can be found throwing garbage and littering the roads here. By the end of the day, heaps of garbage can be found at multiple places,” said a highly-placed source at the GMC.
The GMC, in a positive step, formed a special unit - Swachch Guwahati Squad - which will act to stop littering, urinating and spitting in public places. This squad will also be checking on those who throw garbage at public places. The offenders will also be penalized if found guilty, under the GMC Act. While carrying out the awareness campaign, members of GMC were also accompanied by members of the Swachch Guwahati Squad.
The team comprised of associate planner (building permissions) Deepak Bezbaruah, health officer Dr. Chanda, deputy commissioner (trade license) Gautam Das and Preety Goswami, collector Loni Borpatra Gohain, additional commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra and executive engineer Manojit Bujarbaruah. The resource person on the project is Dr. Pradip Baishya of Assam Engineering College (AEC).
Speaking to G Plus about the awareness campaign, Manojit Bujarbaruah said, “The initiative has been taken to educate the citizens of Guwahati about waste segregation and waste disposal. Our aim is to sensitize them in order to gain their support in moving towards a cleaner and greener Guwahati.”
He further added that it’s an on-going project/awareness campaign and the team will be visiting all vulnerable places in the coming days.
