International discourse studies waste management
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 27 2019:
Manipur University's Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) and Manipur Urban Development Agency (MUDA) organised a one day International discourse on 'Inclu- sive policies on waste management of Manipur' at the university's Court hall today.
Two technical sessions were held at the discourse which was participated by a large number of faculty members, research scholars, students and Government officials.
The first session was held on 'Inclusive Waste Management in Imphal City' with CSSEIP Director and Economics Professor Amar Yumnam as the moderator.
During the session, PHED Additional Chief Engineer L Swami Kanta, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change Deputy Director Dr T Brajakumar, GIS expert and scientist Dr Rajkumari Sunita and faculty of Bath University, UK, Dr Lucy O Shea spoke as resource persons.
Another session on 'Community Participation in Inclusive Waste Management' was also held with Bath University's Economics Professor Shasi Nandeibam as the moderator and Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) Assistant Municipal Commissioner Dr Samuel Moirangthem, Manipur Pollution Control Board Assistant Environmental Engineer Waikhom Roshan and Centre for Research on Environmental Development Secretary Taorem Leikhendra as the resource persons.
Speaking on the sideline of the function, MUDA Director Th Harikumar said that MUDA's main aim is to develop the towns and small towns covered by Imphal city and the 26 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
He explained that around 40 percent of the total urban population of Manipur lives in Imphal and due to the hard work by IMC, despite financial hurdles, many positive changes can be seen in Imphal today.
He continued that similar financial constraints are there with the 26 ULBs but cleaning of roads and collection of dustbins from the houses are still carried out to keep the areas neat and clean.
As a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a cleanliness competition for the cities/towns/small towns covered by the 4000 ULBs of the country, known as Swachh Survekshan, has been initiated.
In the Swachh Survekshan 2018, Kakching clinched the top spot for the cleanest town in the whole North East region.
The MUDA Director also stressed on the importance of transforming the wastes products into something positive through proper management.
He said that it is not possible to keep the cities/towns completely clean just by the efforts of the concerned Government Departments and ULBs as it will require the united efforts of all the stakeholders.
He continued that a Government policy has already been conceived regarding management of wastes from urban areas.
Around 14 recommendations were adopted during the one day international discourse which included formulating an inclusive waste policy, encouraging evidence based policy on an experimental basis, formalising and integrating the unorganised or unregistered waste collectors or ragpickers by upgrading their skills etc, making segregation at source mandatory (for inclusive waste management) by incentivising the concerned stakeholders, encouraging waste management knowledge in the curriculum of the educational institutions on a trial basis, educating the users (households) to understand the whole process of waste management to encourage segregation at source, setting a target with certain yardsticks in waste management programmes, encouraging evidence based policy on an experimental basis, developing a model collection centre/point in the localities or leikais on a trial basis, initiating a comprehensive and integrated approach by incorporating the concerned stakeholders in the waste management governance, encouraging a regular community collection day observation every year, establishing dropping points/centres in every municipal wards/locality to encourage re-use and re-cycling of the unused items, enhancing the ability of the urban local body representatives to provide effective waste management, improving the understanding with NGOs or service providers for stable and reliable services, encouraging tourism through effective waste management efforts and upgrading the existing systems to enforce penalties.
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