Waste segregation, decentralised composting to start in all Govt colonies

Taking a step towards better waste management, the chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh has directed that in all government colonies, the garbage will be segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. He directed officials to ensure composing of the biodegradable garbage. In a letter sent to all principal secretaries and secretaries, the chief secretary has stated that the Urban Development department secretary will be the nodal officer for this purpose. All the departments will provide information on a monthly basis to the nodal officer about the action taken.

According to the state administration, the segregation of garbage at the source and decentralised processing of the organic waste is being undertaken as a novel effort in all the government colonies in the state. This task is to be undertaken with immediate effect. As per the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, it is mandatory to segregate garbage into biodegradable and non-biodegradable components at the source. In addition to this, processing of organic waste through composting is also mandatory on campus in all residential colonies, commercial institutions, hotels, restaurants and other such establishments covering 5,000 square metre area. At present the Government of India is also laying stress on the decentralised processing of organic waste. An advisory in this regard has also been issued by the Government of India in which information has also been provided about various low cost techniques for decentralised composting. About 50 per cent of the garbage generated daily is organic. The decentralised processing of organic garbage in Uttarakhand will result in decreasing the requirement for land and also make it possible for decrease the cost of garbage collection and transportation.

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