Gangtok’s waste problem: a hill capital fights its own landfill

Gangtok, a city built on a hillside with no room for sprawling landfills, is in a quiet war with its own waste. The landfill at Martam, below the city, is nearly full.

The municipal body has turned to decentralised solutions: neighbourhood segregation, composting units in every ward, and a deposit-refund scheme for bottles that tourists return at the taxi stands.

Officials say the city’s small scale is an advantage — every ward can be reached, every shop visited, every habit changed.