A detailed waste audit carried out as part of The Himalayan Cleanup (THC) 2025 in Dimapur has raised fresh concerns over the city’s mounting plastic crisis. Organised on May 29 by five environmental organisations—Living For Environment (LiFE), YouthNet, E-Circle, Green Guard, and Kuda Waste Solutions—the cleanup drive targeted two key public locations: the Dimapur Railway Station and the State Stadium.
Despite logistical and weather challenges, volunteers successfully conducted a partial audit of the massive volume of waste collected, revealing Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) and Multi-Layered Plastics (MLPs) as the dominant pollutants.
The audit was compiled and led by LiFE, the state coordinator for THC Nagaland 2025, and coincided with the lead-up to World Environment Day. The findings were shared with EastMojo today.
At the Dimapur Railway Station, volunteers identified 145 different branded waste items, spanning e-waste, food packets, alcohol, and gutka sachets. The top six most recurring waste items were black plastic bags, clear/transparent plastic bags, disposable paper cups, Shikhar gutka pouches, Signature alcohol bottles, and broken phone tempered glass.
Plastic waste overwhelmingly dominated the audit, pointing to rampant use of single-use carriers and packaging. The area also saw a high concentration of tobacco-related waste, hinting at patterns of informal consumption around transit hubs.
The audit at the State Stadium was more expansive, with the venue divided into nine zones. Volunteers collected and catalogued a wide range of waste.
Once again, black plastic bags topped the list, with a staggering 4,151 pieces collected. This was followed by 2,847 clear plastic bags and 2,415 disposable plastic cups.
In a surprising finding for a dry state, the stadium grounds revealed 363 pieces of alcohol waste from 29 brands, weighing over 101 kg—with Budweiser emerging as the most frequently consumed brand.
The presence of broken bottles was not just an environmental concern but also a safety issue, as one volunteer was injured during the cleanup.
Another disturbing discovery was the presence of soiled diapers—eight in number, weighing 4.71 kg—found in an area of the stadium reportedly used as an informal dumping ground.
Surprisingly, used condoms were also found among the waste at the State Stadium, pointing to concerns beyond just plastic pollution.
The findings confirm what environmentalists have long feared: plastic waste is the primary pollutant in urban Dimapur, with SUPs and MLPs being the most persistent and harmful. In a statement accompanying the audit report, LiFE cautioned, “If we do not change our mindset and adopt sustainable practices, we are gearing ourselves for a ‘waste pandemic’ that will have an irremediable effect on both our environment and health.”
Also Read: Mizoram residents were cut off by landslides, but united by compassion