Waste disposal into Mora Bharalu: Residents cite lack of bins as GMC conducts de-siltation

Guwahati: Residents of Bharalupar, located next to the Assam Cricket Association stadium — commonly known as Barsapara cricket stadium — are compelled to dispose of waste in the Mora Bharalu river adjacent to the stadium because of lack of adequate dustbins.
People have urged the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to provide for more dustbins in the area. However, a green net has been placed to cover a portion of the river. This has sparked speculation with some residents saying it is intended to conceal pollution or prevent littering ahead of IPL matches, as a part of the river has been cleaned up.
The GMC has been conducting a de-siltation process in the river channel under the initiative, ‘Mission Flood Free Guwahati'.
Paresh Chandra Kalita, a local resident, said, "The waste materials scattered along the road are being cleaned up by the GMC ahead of the IPL matches in the stadium. Otherwise, they would have remained there. There is a dire need for dustbins in the area and the GMC should ensure that they collect waste from these bins regularly. People are reluctant to travel a distance to dispose of waste, so they end up throwing it near or into the river, especially at night. However, a portion of the river has been covered with a green net. Apparently, the GMC cleaned that section of the river, which led to an increase in mosquitoes, prompting the installation of the net."
Ranjit Biswas, another resident, said, "The GMC had provided small bamboo dustbins in the area, but they would often fall over due to being overloaded with waste. In the past, waste collectors would come to our homes daily, but later they started coming every two days, citing a lack of vehicles. Now, they haven't come for a long time, so people have no choice but to throw their waste on the roadside or near the river.... there's a pressing need for proper dustbins in the area."
Other residents echoed the same concerns, stating that the lack of proper dustbins forces them to throw waste into the river. They said while the authorities are cleaning the riverbanks and removing waste from the water in one part of the area, which has been covered with a green net, other areas remain uncovered that might result in mosquito-borne issues. Regarding the green net, some residents speculated that it was installed to prevent mosquito breeding in the cleaned area, while others believed it was meant to conceal the polluted river or prevent littering ahead of IPL matches.
However, councillor Sandep Deb said, "The GMC has been collecting waste door-to-door, but some residents have difficulty coordinating with the collection schedule.... Nevertheless, we have been conducting awareness campaigns, urging societies to install dustbins within their apartment complexes."
Regarding the de-siltation process, Deb said, "The de-siltation of the Mora Bharalu is ongoing and it has been completed up to Barsapara. However, with the IPL matches scheduled to take place, the work might be temporarily halted, but it will resume once the matches are over."
When asked about the green net covering the river, the councillor said, "I haven't been in the city for a couple of days, so I'm not aware of the actual reason behind the green net covering the river."