Municipal Solid Waste segregation at source in NCR to be launched tomorrow

This major new initiative to address the problem of solid waste management will be launched in 130 cities where Waste-to-Compost plants are either functional or under construction.

Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu will launch the segregation campaign in National Capital Region covering a total of nine urban local bodies including five of Delhi by flagging off segregated waste collection vehicles from Talkatora Indore Stadium in the national capital.

Residential Welfare Associations, hotels and restaurants who have taken commendable initiatives in this regard will also be felicitated.

In the National Capital Region, about 15,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste is being generated every day while about 65 million tones of such waste is produced every day in urban areas of the country.

Launch of waste segregation at source is being done in the backdrop of 145 Waste-to-Compost plants becoming functional across the country increasing compost production from 1.50 lakh tones in March, 2016 to 13.13 lakh tones at present. Another 150 compost making plants are under construction with total compost production capacity of 95 lakh tones per year.

Incorrect disposal and burning of solid waste results in emission of climate change causing Greenhouse gases like Methane and Carbon Dioxide to the tune of 12.69 million tones of Carbon Dioxide in the country per year.

A recent study revealed that improper solid waste management causes 15 diseases including Hepatitis, Cholera and Malaria.

Segregation of dry and wet waste at source leads to removal of carcinogenic and heavy metals from organic waste resulting in production of good quality compost. Segregation also assists in conversion of non-recyclable dry waste to RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) or energy through Waste-to-Energy/RDF Plants, with minimal amount of inert waste going to landfills.

Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu is the only city so far to have ensured 100% segregation of solid waste at source.

Naidu will also launch the waste segregation at Indore tomorrow. In other States, Governors and Chief Ministers will be doing the same.

Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), 100% door-to-door collection, transportation and processing of solid waste is targeted by October, 2019. While 100% door-to-door collection and transport of solid waste has been achieved in over 41,000 of the total 81,000 urban wards in the country, processing of such waste is about 22%.