Team Herald
PANJIM: The Central Government has lauded the scientific treatment of waste at the solid waste management facility in Goa and asked other States to replicate the system.
“Goa is one State which has made very impressive strides in solid waste management. The State has a very good project of converting waste to energy and it needs to be replicated throughout India,” Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, said at a press conference on Saturday after launching ‘Protocol for Star Rating of Garbage-Free Cities’.
The ultra modern solid waste management plant at Saligao is based on mechanical biological treatment process with proper segregation, recovery of recyclables and bio-methanation technology. Comprising three components – material segregation and recycling centre, treatment of wet fraction via bio-methanation, and composting section and landfill area – it also generates electricity.
Joined by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza at the press briefing, Puri said he was confident that Goa would be 100 percent Open Defecation Free (ODF) State by October 2018. “The Goa CM has told us and I have no doubt whatsoever that Goa will be 100 percent ODF by October 2018,” he said adding that out of over 4,000 cities, 2,260 have already been declared as ODF.
The Union minister was also content on the “very good” performance of Goa in sectors like affordable housing, utilisation of funds under AMRUT Scheme and fast progress towards water connect. “In scheme under affordable housing, there is a very small gap of around 5,000. Goa is doing very well and I believe by 2019, the scheme’s full delivery will be successful. On putting up water taps, I am told there are some disputes as 409 are still left to be connected, however, it won’t be long when the water connect will also be accomplished in a very short period,” he said. It is learnt that around 4,806 families do not have houses of their own, but Parrikar – on the sidelines of the press meet – clarified that they are not homeless.
The star-rating initiative, developed by the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban will be rating cities on a 7-star rating system based on multiple cleanliness indicators for solid waste management.
Parrikar also led Puri to project sites under AMRUT & SMART City Missions. Secretary MoHUA D S Mishra, EDC Chairman Sidharth Kuncalienker, AMRUT & SMART City Mission Director Swayan Dipta Pal Chaudhury and local corporators accompanied the team.
The minister was impressed with the projects being undertaken, Kuncalienker said.
