The Hindu 23.12.2014
Solid waste management board on the anvil
ULBs need to focus on scientific methods of garbage disposal: Sorake
Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake and Almitra H. Patelof
the Supreme Court Committee on solid waste management, at the seminar
organised by the Canara Plastic Manufacturers’ and Traders’ Association
in Mangaluru on Monday.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath
Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake on Monday
said the government plans to set up a Solid Waste Management (SWM) Board
along the lines of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.
Speaking
after inaugurating CanPlast 2014 organised by Canara Plastic
Manufacturers’ and Traders’ Association here, Mr. Sorake said waste
management had attained greater significance these days and many urban
local bodies (ULBs) lacked the expertise in garbage disposal.
Bengaluru,
once known as the garden city, was turning out to be a garbage city,
the Minister said, adding that the government was confident of finding a
solution to the problems at Mandur village near Bengaluru where garbage
disposal had become an issue. ULBs, which still continue with land-fill
dumping method of garbage disposal, needed to focus on scientific
disposal of waste. The proposal for SWM Board gained relevance in this
context, Mr. Sorake said.
The Minister said the
presumption of plastic as a menace should get changed, and plastic
should be treated as an asset through various recycling methods.
The
government was keen on the use of recycled plastic in various forms,
including for production of diesel and energy, he said. Any number of
rules and regulations would not help scientific waste management unless
the people develop awareness about cleanliness and waste disposal, he
said.
The day-long event witnessed technical sessions
on sustainable waste management by Almitra H. Patel, member, Supreme
Court Committee for SWM, Bengaluru; emerging opportunities in the field
of plastics for small and medium entrepreneurs by Aruna Kumari, senior
manager, Reliance Industries, Mumbai; plastic waste to fuel by G.
Jagadish, Director, Technical, Ampolt Electronics, Bengaluru, and
bio-degradable plastics and recycling by Ajay Karmarkar, Director
(Technical), KONSPEC, Mangaluru.