Malerkotla administration's focus on ‘RRR’ for better waste management
Officials say the campaign comes as garbage remediation, even at a mass scale, failed to achieve desired results
The Malerkotla administration has launched a special campaign to spread awareness about the need of minimising garage generation and shunning use of banned plastics, with a special focus on the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR) principle, said officials.
They said office-bearers and activists of social, educational and religious organisations have been roped in to persuade residents to incorporate RRR into their lifestyles.
The officials said the campaign comes as garbage remediation, even at a mass scale, failed to achieve desired results as the waste generation increased manifolds in urban as well as rural households.
They said the festive season also had a role to play in this increase in waste generation.
Appreciating the concern shown by local councillors for a long-term solution, executive officer Chander Parkash Wadhwa said a roster had been prepared for workshops and seminars over the next few weeks.
“After observing that massive garbage generation, almost 70 tonnes per day, undermined the positive effect of waste remediation, we have sought cooperation of elected members of all the three civic bodies in the district,” said Wadhwa, appreciating that most councillors from Ahmedgarh, Amargarh and Malerkotla had come forward with proposals for events to sensitise residents on the need for minimising waste generation.
Wadhwa said garbage remediation, the most scientific process for cleaning up and reclaiming contaminated land, will continue.
Vikas Krishan Sharma, president, Ahmedgarh Municipal Council, acknowledged that reckless waste generation over the past few months compounded the issue of solid waste management.
“Unfortunately, people failed to comprehend the idea behind the ban on use of plastics and continued violating the norms. This led to a disproportionate increase of waste generation and blocking of sewerage pipes, compounding issues for authorities in civic bodies,” said Sharma.
Solid waste management has remained a major concern for civic bodies and successive governments, who have had to face the locals’ ire.
During a recent visit to Malerkotla, Punjab State Human Rights Commission member Jitender Singh Shunty advised the civic body authorities to focus on removal of garbage dumps from the region.
