Shillong’s Marten dumping site struggles to handle rising waste, future uncertain

The Marten dumping ground in Mawlai, Shillong’s only landfill site, continues to bear the burden of the city’s growing waste generation, with officials confirming that disposal capacity is being stretched. Established in 1938, the site spans 18 acres and currently processes around 171 metric tons of solid waste daily.

During the Meghalaya Budget Session, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar, in response to a query by MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang, outlined the state’s ongoing waste management efforts and the need for long-term solutions.

He stated that Marten remains the designated site for waste disposal for the Shillong Urban Agglomeration and nearby villages. The landfill, which was originally part of the Riatkhwan Reserved Forest, is currently leased from the Forest Department, with an extension secured until 2026.

The government has implemented several facilities at Marten to improve waste processing:

• 170 TPD Compost Plant – Used for organic waste processing.
• Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment & Disposal Facility (CBMWTDF) – Treats hazardous medical waste from healthcare facilities across Shillong, including:
• 100 kg per hour incinerator for yellow-category biomedical waste.
• 50 kg per hour autoclave for red and blue category waste.
• 50 kg per hour shredder for additional treatment.
• 0.115 MLD Septage Treatment Plant – Processes collected sewage waste.
• 4 TPD Incineration Plant – Handles non-recyclable waste.

Despite these efforts, a significant portion of waste—about 23%—continues to reach the landfill instead of being processed. The landfill was originally designed to last three years for Phase 1 and seven years for Phase 2, based on an assumption that only 10% of generated waste would end up in it. However, with Shillong now generating an estimated 196 TPD of waste, the landfill’s operational lifespan is under pressure.

The government has been working on bio-remediation to address accumulated legacy waste at Marten. Officials reported that 1,04,810 metric tons of legacy waste have been processed so far. In Tura, 19,315 metric tons of waste have been treated under similar efforts. However, the total estimated legacy waste across Meghalaya’s urban areas is 4,17,798 metric tons, indicating that further remediation is necessary.

To address the growing waste crisis, the government has identified Nonghali as a potential site for Shillong’s future landfill. The proposed 112-acre site is currently undergoing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) study. Other proposed landfill locations across Meghalaya include:

• Jowai – Land identified at Umalamat Elaka Jowai, EIA study initiated.
• Tura – Land acquired at Wakkagre, EIA study initiated.
• Williamnagar – Land acquired at Rongakgre, EIA study initiated.
• Resubelpara, Baghmara, Nongstoin, Nongpoh – Land proposals are under feasibility studies.

To improve waste collection and disposal efficiency, the government has procured 71 new waste collection vehicles for the Shillong Municipal Board and 37 Dorbar Shnongs in the Shillong Urban Agglomeration. An additional 51 vehicles are in operation across other urban areas, with further acquisitions planned under central and state funding schemes.

As the primary dumping ground for Shillong, the Marten site in Mawlai has raised concerns among local residents regarding pollution and health hazards. Complaints about foul odours, air quality issues, and potential contamination of nearby water sources have been reported.