'Green' Minister calls for segregation of waste in cities in four years
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, MAY 03, 2015: MR Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, while addressing the inaugural session of the Stakeholder Consultation on Draft Management Rules 2015 organised by Confederation of Indian Industry in association with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change said that clean air, clean water, clean environment, clean energy and green is our mission without commission. He said that the five rules including the municipal solid waste management rules, bio-medical waste management rules, plastic waste management rules, e-waste management rules and draft hazardous management rules have been revised after several years. People's participation in implementing these new rules will change the face of the country in the next five years, he added.
Mr. Javadekar congratulated and recognised all the labourers and waste pickers engaged in waste management, even in the absence of a proper organised and scientific waste management framework in the country. Sharing his recent experience of visiting Mumbai Municipal Solid Waste dump, he mentioned that in a city like Mumbai only 15% of the total solid waste is segregated, whereas through these new rules the Ministry ambitiously aims to bring segregation to 100% in every city in next 3-4years. He concluded by saying that, “Yes we can change and we will. If we move together, quality of life will improve which will lead to Clean and Green India”.
Also present was Mr. Ashok Lavasa, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change who mentioned that one of the main challenges for effective waste management is that over the last few decades we have moved as a society from valuing durability to adopting a culture of disposability.
The Special Secretary in the Ministry, Shashi Shekhar, mentioned that the Ministry has tried a 360 degree approach while redrafting the waste management rules. He stated that there is huge opportunity of converting waste into wealth.
Mr.Chandrajit Banerjee Director General CII said that as an industry partner, CII values the Government's initiative since the aforesaid rules impact various aspects of business operations and associated waste recycling and management practices. He mentioned that CII is a responsible partner and will provide constructive inputs to the process.