Kullu MC to accumulate garbage at Sarwari park

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, July 17

The Kullu Municipal Committee (MC) has decided to accumulate garbage at the material recovery facility (MRF) site located in the Nehru Park in the Sarwari area of Kullu. The move comes after the Manali MC stopped accepting garbage from other areas in the waste treatment plant at Rangri near Manali from today. The Manali MC said personnel had been deployed at the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant at Rangri in Manali to ensure that no garbage from other areas was dumped at the site. Waste from several areas of Kullu and Lahaul was being sent to the RDF plant by paying Rs 1 per kg to the MC.

Kullu residents had objected to the dumping of garbage in Nehru Park citing various reasons. MC Executive Officer Hari Singh said a shredder having a capacity of 4 tonne per hour would be installed soon in a shed at the Nehru Park. He said, “Processed dry waste will be sent to the cement plant at Barmana. Wet waste will be treated in existing terminals and higher authorities will be informed in case of any hiccup.”

A resident from Hritik alleged that around eight to 10 tonnes of waste is generated everyday from Kullu and accumulating garbage in a small area of Nehru Park will not only increase filth in the area, but also become a health hazard. An environmentalist Abhishek Rai alleged that it was unfortunate that no permanent solution had been devised for solid waste management of Kullu despite orders of apex environment body in 2017.

Bhuntar Nagar Panchayat executive officer Harshit Sharma said around two tonnes of waste is generated everyday. He said, “Wet waste would be converted into manure in composting pits and dry waste will be sent to cement plants. He said the waste was being accumulated at the Mela Ground and land was being looked into to set up a garbage treatment plant for the time being.

The waste of Manikaran and Banjar valleys was earlier being sent to Manali as well. Land has been identified for a garbage treatment plant near Kasol in Manikaran valley but the matter is going through the lengthy process of approvals and permissions. The administration has directed the urban and rural bodies to ensure arrangements at their level for disposal of solid and liquid waste so that there is no harm to the environment.

Active measures

Processed dry waste will be sent to the cement plant at Barmana. Wet waste will be treated in existing terminals and higher authorities will be informed in case of any hiccup. — Hari Singh, MC Executive Officer