Imphal, August 22: Manipur University Vice-Chancellor Professor N. Lokendra Singh has warned that Imphal is fast becoming overcrowded and unhygienic because of poor planning in development works and increasing encroachment on public land.
He said the problem has now turned into a menace which needs urgent action from both the authorities and the public.
The Vice-Chancellor was speaking as the chief guest at the opening of a two-day All India Seminar on “Solid Waste Management: Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future.”
The programme, which will continue till August 23, is being held at the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Porompat, Imphal East. It is jointly organised by the Institution of Engineers (India), Manipur State Centre, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the Department of MAHUD under the Environmental Engineering Division Board (ENDB), IEI.
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Prof. Lokendra reminded the gathering that in the 1970s Imphal was considered a clean and ideal town. He said that after Manipur attained statehood, the Government of India provided the state with funds and resources. But in the last 10 to 15 years, urbanisation and modernisation have changed the social and economic structure of Imphal. Without proper and systematic planning, the city has become congested and unhealthy. He also suggested that Solid Waste Management should be included in academic courses so that awareness can be built among the younger generation.
Guest of honour of the programme, Tourangbam Brajakumar, Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change, said there are 27 urban local bodies under Imphal. These generate a large amount of household waste every day, but only a small part of it is collected by municipalities. A large portion remains scattered and causes serious environmental pollution. He appealed to the public to understand the harmful effects of pollution and to take responsibility by reducing waste and keeping their surroundings clean.
Another guest of honour at the event, Ngangom Uttam Singh, Director of MAHUD and IPR, also attended the programme. L. Swamikanta Singh, Chairman of IEI Manipur State Centre, presided over the function. The inaugural event was also graced by Th. Subhaschandra Singh, Convenor of the National Advisory Committee and Honorary Secretary of IEI Manipur State Centre, and Kh. Nimo Singh, Convenor of the seminar.
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A souvenir was released as part of the inaugural ceremony.
After the inauguration, a technical session was held in the morning under the chairmanship of M. Lokendro Singh, Retired Chief Engineer PWD and former IEI Chairman. Ngangom Uttam Singh delivered an invited talk on policy and legal frameworks. Konthoujam Khelchandra Singh, Associate Professor of Manipur University, spoke on the key issues and challenges of municipal solid waste management. Research papers were also presented, including Wood Chips as a Feasible Waste in Generating Carbon-Based Heterogeneous Catalyst by Tourangbam Rahul Singh, Ph.D. Scholar at NIT Manipur, and Unlocking the Potential of Agricultural Waste in Water Treatment: A Systematic Analysis by Shri Khumallambam Jyotish, Ph.D. Scholar at Mizoram University.
The afternoon session was chaired by L. Swamikanta Singh, Retired Additional Chief Engineer PHED and Chairman of IEI Manipur State Centre. The session began with a talk by Taorem Leikhendra, Secretary of CRED Manipur, on Solid Waste Management in Manipur: Challenges, Initiatives and Way Forward. Research papers presented in this session included Fish Waste as an Important Source of Raw Material for Catalyst Production by Thiyam Lakshmi Devi, From Awareness to Action: Driving Behavioural Changes in Solid Waste Management by Kshetrimayum Velinda Chanu of DM University, E-Waste Segregation and Recycling by RK Naojinglen Meitei, Senior Technical Officer of NIELIT Imphal, and Study of Solid Waste Management in Chandel, a Small Hilly Town of Manipur, India by Ch. Raghumani Singh of Manipur University.
The two-day seminar brings together academics, experts, researchers and officials to find innovative and practical ways to manage solid waste and to work towards a cleaner and sustainable future for Manipur.
(Newmai News Network)