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Like most towns in the country, Phuentsholing also faces solid waste management problem. But being a border town and a thriving commercial trade centre, solid waste management problem seems severe in Phuentsholing as compared to other towns. And addressing the issue has been a mammoth task for the Thromde office, according to the officials.
Almost 27,000 people reside in Phuentsholing and with floating population of at least 500 people every day, the number is always on the rise. One of the results of this is the mounting solid waste management problem in the town.
One of the residents, Sangay Dorji, said that concerned officials should inform all the residents, hoteliers and shopkeepers that it is their responsibility to keep their surrounding clean, especially in front of their shop. “Now if they don’t keep their surrounding clean, city should come and immediately charge them fines. If they do in this way, I hope we can keep the city clean,” he added.
The Thromde office is doing its part. It has constructed communal bins in various parts of the town. Wastes from these bins are collected every day and disposed at the landfill. Sweepers have also been deployed at the core town area. But still, for this commercial hub, it will take something more than sweepers to maintain its hygiene.
“People from almost every dzongkhag come here for shopping and other business purposes. Since they are not permanent residents out here they do not care about the city’s sanitation. Likewise most of the people living here are housewives and some are not educated so I think they lack knowledge about solid waste management,” said Jigme Phuntsho, Head of Environment Division, Phuentsholing Thromde.
But amidst those people who consider waste management as the Thromde’s responsibility, there are few who think otherwise. They understand that keeping Phuentsholing town clean is a joint responsibility.
About a year ago, a resident of Phuentsholing created a group on Facebook named Residents of Phuentsholing. And the belief on which it has been created is clear on the group’s page. It reads ‘a little effort and participation from your sides can make a difference’.
Sonam Penjor is the facebook group creator. “Most of the people residing in Phuentsholing, we have them in the group page. It’s not that we all live in one area. There are many different people living in different areas. So they know what issues are going around. What wastes problems they face. Then we can discuss together about the problems faced in their area and then we can prepare a report and give it to city office or tell them some suggestions,” he said.
The recent launch of the Waste Prevention and Management Regulation 2012 is also expected to help the Thromde office impose strict vigilance over the waste problem in the town.
Phuentsholing Thromde disposes 15 to 20 tonnes of solid wastes from the town to the landfill every day. But this is not inclusive of the illegally dumped wastes in the corners and sideways of the buildings.
According to the Thromde office, illegally dumped wastes amount to 5 to 10 tonnes of the total waste produced by the town every day. So with this Regulation, Phuentsholing Thromde will have legal support in imposing fines and penalties for defaulters caught in such actions.
The Head of Environment Division of the Thromde Office, Jigme Phuntsho, said people who are not abiding by the rules and openly dump or litter, they are trying to impose fines. “For people who are not managing sanitation in their surrounding we are trying to disconnect their services like water and electricity supply previously. But now with the Waste Prevention and Management Regulation in place, it will be easier for us to go ahead with this kind of fines and penalties,” he added.
The Thromde office, however, will not be implementing the regulation immediately.
In an earlier interview with BBS, the Thrompon, Tsheten Dorji, said more awareness programmes will be organised before implementing the regulation. “Being a bordering town, people from across the border come here. So they will also have to be made aware before we implement the regulation.”
The regulation was launched in the town by organising a cleaning campaign last Saturday. This initiative received a warm response as impressive number of participants joined the event.
Meanwhile, the Thromde office is in the process of procuring additional garbage collection trucks and bins to be placed across the town. They are also jointly working with international non-governmental organisations on waste management projects.
