This week, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) got a clear mandate enforced compulsory segregation of waste at source has to be implemented now. On paper, the decision appears to be the ultimate solution for the overflowing landfills in Guwahati, increasing levels of pollution, and widening health issues. But here’s one question: Will a law be sufficient to alter the manner in which Guwahati disposes of its trash?
In India, cities have grappled with the implementation gap. Regulations requiring segregation of wet and dry waste existed since the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016, but it never gained traction. Plastic wrappers, vegetable peels, diapers, and glass bottles are still dumped into the same black bag in most homes. This unsegregated heap not only clogs municipal systems but also contaminates rivers such as the Brahmaputra, further aggravating a city that is already prone to floods.
The issue is not merely the lack of dustbins or garbage collection vehicles it’s the lack of civic conscience. When residents fail to regard trash as their responsibility, no legislation can bring tangible change. Guwahati, as with most Indian cities, “out of sight, out of mind” is the culture of garbage. Once the garbage goes beyond the doorstep, someone else owns the responsibility. But the reality is that segregation begins and ends at the household level.
Consider Indore, India’s cleanest city. The city did not top the Swachh Bharat lists merely due to robust municipal infrastructure, but because citizens joined in whole-heartedly. Citizens knew that sorting their waste was not just an official directive but a civic responsibility. Ongoing awareness drives, school education, and strong penalties collaborated to instill a sense of responsibility. Guwahati is at the same crossroads today.
The GMC’s order is just a starting point, though. The law has to be accompanied by awareness and enforcement. Citizens have to be educated about why segregation is important. Unsegregated garbage cannot be recycled plastic becomes contaminated, biodegradable waste spoils, and toxic waste such as batteries taints the others. Segregated garbage, on the other hand, generates value: kitchen scraps turned into compost, recyclables that power industries, and less stress on landfills. That is, “waste becomes wealth.”
But overnight compliance is not realistic to expect. Infrastructure will need to be developed in Guwahati, including color-coded bins, reliable, guaranteed access at the door of residents, and simple drop-off points with clear instructions. At the same time, citizens need to be engaged. School campaigns, Resident Welfare Associations, and social media are some of the ways citizens can generate peer pressure and pride in civic duty in embracing sustainable behavior. Fines can help with compliance, but education will create permanence.
The actual risk comes in merely viewing this directive as the next bureaucratic command. Absent civic duty, waste segregation could easily end up being a check-box exercise, mandated for a couple of weeks before things revert to familiar ways. In order for Guwahati to work, residents need to see that segregation is not just about cleaning streets — it is about safeguarding the Brahmaputra, cutting disease, and creating a healthier city for generations to come.
In the end, no government can clean a city alone. Guwahati’s waste segregation drive will only succeed if citizens stop seeing themselves as passive residents and start acting as active stakeholders. The law can guide, but responsibility must come from within.
-By Kaavya Baid & Aadhya Popli
