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“Need for sustainable solid waste management”

Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:09 administrator
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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.

Last Updated on Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:14
 

‘Prepare estimates for developing UGD network’

Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:07 administrator
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The Hindu 13.09.2009

‘Prepare estimates for developing UGD network’

 

Staff Reporter

Ponnala asks officials to ensure sewage does not enter irrigation canals

 

The estimates will be placed before the Central Government for sanction of funds

By 2010 no area in city should get submerged or flooded in the event of rain, he says

VIJAYAWADA: The issue of letting out of sewage into irrigation canals that pass through the city came to the fore at a review meting chaired by Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah here on Saturday. The Minister asked the officials of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and the Irrigation Department to ensure that the sewage did not enter the canals, and suggested to them to prepare estimates to develop the underground drainage network in a full-fledged manner in the city.

The estimates would be placed before the Central Government for sanction of funds, he said, and advised them to appoint consultants to study and prepare the estimates within two months.

Sewage treatment

Mr. Lakshmaiah also wanted the officials to speed up the works costing Rs. 278 crores taken up for treating the sewage in the city, and complete them at the earliest. So far, only Rs.126 crores had been spent for treating 45 million litres a day of sewage, and the officials must complete works so that another 60 million litres a day of sewage could be treated by October.

The Minister wanted the officials to take measures to ensure that no area or locality of the city got submerged or flooded with rain water by 2010. At the same time, sewage should not be let out into any irrigation or drinking water canal as per the directions given by the High Court in the past, he made clear.

Budameru issue

Referring to Budameru drain, he asked the officials to appoint a consultant and get proposals for a comprehensive development of the drain prepared in two months. Mr. Lakshmaiah expressed concern over indiscriminate manner in which solid waste was being dumped by the residents of hill areas of the city, which, he feared, would clog the drains and result in flooding. To prevent this, students of colleges and schools must be involved in an awareness campaign to reduce the use of plastic and encourage people to dump all wastes into separate baskets on roads.

Municipal Commissioner P. S. Pradyumna, Irrigation SE T. Chandra Rao and other Irrigation officials were present.

Last Updated on Sunday, 13 September 2009 07:08
 

All-women's vegetable market may soon come to PCMC

Saturday, 12 September 2009 17:39 administrator
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The Times of India 12.09.2009

All-women's vegetable market may soon come to PCMC

TNN 12 September 2009, 04:43am IST

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will soon take a decision on a proposal to construct a vegetable market exclusively for female vendors in Nigdi Gaothan ward.

Estimated to cost Rs 99.50 lakh, the vegetable market could be the first one of its kind to be constructed in the PCMC limits.

A proposal for the construction of the market building had first been mooted by the PCMC's women and child welfare committee a few months back. The building is set to be constructed on an open plot near scheme 10 of ward number 48 in Nigdi Gaothan.

An official in the engineering department of Zone A, PCMC, said that the triangular plot, admeasuring 3,182 sq ft, has been handed over to the corporation by the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA). Parking space will be provided on the plot's backside, while five shops will be constructed facing the road. Two multipurpose halls will be constructed on the first and second floors of the building.

Speaking to TOI, Sahebrao Gaikwad, assistant commissioner and in-charge of women and child welfare department, PCMC, said, "The proposal for vegetable market has come from corporators. The municipal commissioner will take the decision to implemented the proposal after it is approved by the civic general body."

Subhash Machare, assistant commissioner and chief of land records department, PCMC, said, "The PCMC has constructed many vegetable markets in the municipal limits. We keep some galas (shops) reserved for the backward classes, economically-weaker sections or women. The engineering department constructs vegetable markets and hands it over to our department. We then invite applications and allot the shops on rental basis. We do not know of any plan to construct the vegetable market in Nigdi."
 
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