To manage problems of mounting urban garbage, 12 municipalities in Himachal Pradesh were being provided with solid waste management plants.
Deepak Sanan, principal secretary urban development speaking at a workshop on ‘Integrated Solid Waste Management- Recent Initiatives and Strategies for Implementation’, said that for the urban local bodies of Poanta, Parwannoo, Mehatpur, Palampur and Nalagarh, Rs 15.34 crore had already been released from the funds awarded by the 12th Finance Commission. The municipalities were asked to pay added attention for maintaining the solid waste management system in their respective areas for upkeep of hygienic living conditions
Expressing the need for ensuring safe disposal of garbage and proper management of waste he said, “The rapid urbanization being witnessed in the country after the economic liberalization had totally changed the waste generation scenario.”
Sanan disclosed that the central pollution control board had recently approved Rs 1.08 crore for the Mandi solid waste management project. He said that three urban local bodies would be provided solid waste management plants, each year, with funds provided by the commission, he said.
Expressing the need to ensure safe disposal of garbage and proper management of waste, he said, that door to door garbage collection, storage system and system of primary and effective secondary waste collection needed to be strengthened which would ease unhygienic conditions to a great extent.
World Bank representative Vandana Bhatnagar said that public participation and support needed to be sought for managing waste.
