TURA: A One Day District Level Workshop on Solid Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) for Village Level Functionaries was held on Monday at SMELC Conference Hall, Dakopgre in Tura. The programme was organised by State Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Meghalaya in collaboration with District Swachh Bharat Mission (G), West Garo Hills District during which Village Level Functionaries from six Blocks of the district participated.
During the workshop, Swapnil Tembe, Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Dadenggre Civil Sub-Division, Dadenggre explained in detail about the Solid Liquid Resource Management which aims to reduce the production of kitchen and other bio-degradable waste by turning it into manure by using vermin-compost methods for solid waste and using soakpits for liquid waste. He also informed the participants that non-biodegradable waste which will be collected at one place and sold to scrap dealers and hence the term Solid Liquid Resource Management instead of Solid Liquid Waste Management.
Tembe also spoke about reusing grey water which if treated properly can be reused for washing clothes and flushing the toilet, etc. Further, stating that 88 per cent of the diseases were acquired by people due to lack of cleanliness and sanitation, he added that haphazard disposal of waste invites harmful bacteria and dumping plastics everywhere especially nitrogen seal packs for chips pollute the environment for which he advised the parents not to give money to children to buy chips and to pack home cooked food for children to school.
During his presentation, he also showed video clips of Segregation of Waste both biodegradable and non-biodegradable at home which is to encourage people to practise home composting techniques at the household level and to collect recyclable waste at one place and hand them over to scrap dealers at a later stage. This waste collection and management would be done by self help groups of the respective villages, he said.
While delivering the keynote address, Saljrang D Sangma, Executive Engineer (PHE) and Member Secretary, District Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), West Garo Hills, Tura informed the participants how to manage solid liquid waste in our homes and turn it into resourceful activity thereby earning productive value for the waste generated at home. He said that biodegradable waste can be made into manure and used for kitchen garden, etc while non-biodegradable products can be sold to scrap dealers.