The Hindu 13.09.2009
“Need for sustainable solid waste management”
Staff Reporter
| Involvement of private sector, non-government organisations and rag-pickers favoured |
NEW DELHI: There is an urgent need to upgrade technology related to management of municipal solid waste available with municipalities and to bring in requisite capital, said Central Pollution Control Board chairman S. P. Gautam here over the weekend.
Emphasising the need for sustainable solid waste management, Prof. Gautam said it promotes technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable solutions and there is a strong case to involve the private sector, non-government organisations and rag-pickers in the overall institutional framework of effective municipal solid waste management. He was speaking at a two-day national workshop-cum-conference on “Environmental Impact through Efficient Management of Solid Waste: Technology Impetus & Policy Transformation” organised by the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, along with SEARCH Foundation, HINGE Services and supported by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry, to evolve strategies for efficient management of solid waste based on technological innovation in order to minimise environmental degradation. A number of subjects were discussed at the conference such as municipal solid waste minimisation, characterisation and treatment, technology, design and management of landfill sites, policy planning and strategy, different kind of wastes and cleaning up mechanisms.
Highlighting the need to upgrade the designing and engineering aspects of landfill sites, Uttar Pradesh State level Expert Appraisal Committee chairman S. K. Bhargav said the requisite technology could not be easily accessed as it was expensive and closely guarded by Western countries. He added that research and development efforts to indigenise technical aspects should be encouraged and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission too should be earnestly implemented. Union Human Resource Development Ministry Additional Secretary Ashok Thakur said stress on environment was increasing due to the fast pace of progress in the country and constantly increasing population. He added that it was important for citizens to realise the importance of resource conservation and non-pollution of the environment. Stating that many cities and towns were overwhelmed by the volume of waste which had to be managed, SEARCH Foundation organising secretary and chairman Dhiraj Singh cautioned that inappropriate management could lead to pollution of groundwater, surface water and environment. Efficient guidelines on managing solid waste had to be laid down and policy corrections were necessary to avoid converting the country into a dumping ground for waste.
