TURA: Setting the stage for South West Garo Hills to become the first garbage free district in the State, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday inaugurated a first of its kind Solid & Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) Initiatives of the District Administration under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) at MFC Betasing.
As part of the inaugural programme, the Chief Minister interacted with the members of Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and also handed over the Waste Collection Carts to them in the presence of local MLA Miani D. Shira, Chief Executive Member, GHADC, Dipul R. Marak, other dignitaries, district officials and SHGs among others. He inaugurated Plastic Recycling Unit and inspected the kitchen garden made by VWSCs and Swachgrahis near MFC premises where recycling of kitchen waste and manufacturing of organic fertilizers were demonstrated.
Delivering the inaugural address, the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma lauded the efforts of the District Administration and District Swachh Bharat Mission (G) team of South West Garo Hills for successful implementation of SLWM and SLRM in the district where work has been completed in almost 30 villages out of 50 selected villages of South West Garo Hills for the project.
Stating that waste management today is the biggest challenge of the world, the Chief Minister said that it is imperative for both the politicians and bureaucrats to take initiative to control waste generated as a whole and as individuals to manage consumption of raw materials. Since waste generated is not disposed properly, it gives rise to pollution. “Whatever we consider waste or garbage might be recyclable and could be marketed”, he said and exhorted every individual to make concerted effort to change their way of life and bring about change in the society as a whole. “If waste management is carried out properly in every household then one can be part of that change”, he added.
Expressing his happiness to see self-help groups emerging in large numbers and their involvement in the developmental activities in the rural areas, he informed that the aim of the government was to help at least 5000 SHGs to avail bank loans, whereas during the tenure of the previous government only 200 out of 11000 SHGs were granted loan.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that the focus of all politicians and officers must be to serve the people and stressed on the importance of data driven governance as it provides facts and requirements of the people for better policy making.
Earlier the Chief Minister also distributed waste baskets to various VWSCs and also distributed certificates to the trainees who underwent training on SLRM at Kannur from January 22 to February 6, 2019 under the faculty of Vellore Srinivasan, the garbage expert in India.
South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner and Chairman, DSBM(G), Ramkumar S under whose initiative and guidance the project is being implemented in the district, gave a brief presentation on various activities done by the District Water & Sanitation Committee in the past two years. The work involved IEC on SLWM and SLRM, construction of washing platforms and soak pits at every household, construction of collection and segregation shed, household distribution of degradable and non-degradable waste baskets, setting up of kitchen gardens at common centres. The Plastic Waste Recycling Unit at Betasing was set up in collaboration with MBDA and MSRLS.
Local MLA, Miani D. Shira, CEM, GHADC, Dipul R Marak, Superintending Engineer (PHE) & State Coordinator, SBM(G), A. Lyngkhoi were among others who addressed the gathering on the occasion which was attended by over 1000 people of the area.
the collection of waste from households and later handed to beneficiaries different plastic containers to segregate bio and non-biodegradable waste from peoples’ homes.
Conrad Sangma also inaugurated the plastic recycling unit which would be run by members of a Self help Group who have been imparted training by experts on the use of the machinery.