Nagaland government is moving to acquire 50 acres at Xukiye village in Niuland district for a new Integrated Zonal Waste Processing Centre (IZWPC) that will serve Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who holds the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs portfolio, said the acquisition was expected to be completed soon. The State Land Acquisition Authority (SLAA) has approved the acquisition and the deputy commissioner of Niuland, accompanied by a multi-departmental team, inspected the proposed site on August 27.

Once established, the IZWPC will replace the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) dumpsite at Sunrise colony, Burma Camp, and cater to the DMC, East Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland town councils as well as surrounding rural settlements across the three districts. The existing DMC dumping area remains subject to proceedings before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), East Zone Bench, Kolkata, following a case filed by colony residents. In an order dated February 3, 2023, in Original Application No. 68/2022/EZ, the NGT issued 14 directives to the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department and the DMC.

The chief minister said 11 directives have been complied with while three remain pending, relating to identifying and acquiring an alternative site, installing a weighbridge and setting up an Effluent Treatment Plant for leachate. The NGT had set January 31, 2024, as the deadline for shifting to a new dumpsite but the Burma Camp site remains operational, with bioremediation and biomining activities under way. The government stated that acquisition and subsequent works will be carried out in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules and environmental clearance requirements.

Officials said the IZWPC is intended to centralise processing, reduce pressure on urban and peri-urban neighbourhoods and provide compliant waste handling capacity for the three districts. The multi-departmental inspection and SLAA approval form part of measures to address long standing environmental concerns and regulatory non compliance associated with the existing dumpsite. Authorities indicated the facility aims to improve practices and provide a long term solution for municipal waste management across Dimapur, Chümoukedima and Niuland.