Waste management initiated in Pelling

GANGTOK, 11 Jan: A meeting with the hoteliers, restaurants and all stakeholders of Pelling, West Sikkim was held at 11-Singyang Chombong GPU on 24 December 2011 towards “Making Pelling a zero waste area” under the Total Sanitation Campaign of the RMD Department which was attended by the West District Zilla Adhyaksha, Karma Chuki Bhutia, Deputy Secretary, Sanitation, Hissey Yongda, BDO, Gyalshing, Hemant Rai, all Panchayat members and the convener of “Friends of Green Pelling” constituted for the purpose, informs a press release.
It was decided in the meeting, that only non bio-degradable items segregated at the source which could be re-used will be taken up as part of waste management for which the Panchayats have authorized one local person, Chabilall Bista from Sakyong, West Sikkim who will go door-to-door collecting these segregated items in Pelling, the release informs.
To ensure that all beer bottles do not get sold out by the hoteliers themselves retaining only the plastic and other items, it has been decided that the hoteliers/ restaurants will get the nominal amount for the cost of beer bottles that could be collected. No amount will however, be paid for other items.
The release further informs that this has been decided to begin with as the GPU is not equipped with the logistics to take up all forms of waste that emanates from Pelling. It may be noted that the Department of Rural Management and Development Department will be providing the GPU with the cost of shed for collection and disposal centre of all waste along with a utility vehicle. Till this takes place, this small initiative has been taken by the GPU.
The GPU will formulate rules and regulations for the manner in which this initiative has to begin from the hoteliers and restaurants including households in Pelling. Non compliance of the above rules and regulations by the hoteliers and all stake holders will be penalized in the form of either termination of hotel licenses or non-renewal of licenses by the panchayats or as the case may be, the release adds.
The meeting concluded with the distribution of dustbins to the hoteliers by the Zilla Adhyaksha, Dy. Secretary, Sanitation and the Panchayat President of the GPU.