Namthang GVK eyes zero waste status

GANGTOK, 26 Dec: A programme on Sanitation and Zero Waste was organized under the Namthang Gram Vikas Kendra 23 December on the Solid Waste Management component of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) being implemented by the Rural Management & Development Department.
The programme was attended by Joint Secretary (NBA), Deputy Secretary (NBA), Gram Vikas Adhikari (Namthang), Panchayats, School Teachers and School Mangement Committee members. The RMDD State Level officials of the NBA Cell, who were on a visit to the Block to take stock of the Solid Waste Management project, which is to be launched shortly, also conducted a monitoring visit to GPUs under the Block to inspect Household and community toilets as well as toilets at ICDS centres, an official press release informs.
The Solid Waste project which will cater to the Bazaar area, Households and schools under Namthang initially, and will be linked to the periphery markets at a later phase as it gains momentum, the release adds.
A Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) has been provided by the RMDD, where all the non-degradable waste that has been segregated at source (at the household level) will be stored and sold to the scrap dealer stationed at Middle Camp. The biodegradable waste, meanwhile, will be composted and sold to the farms around the area as well as procured for MG-NREGA Plantation works.
Resource Teams to run the project under the guidance of the Panchayats have already been trained by the Department on composting and Zero Waste, it is informed.
The team also plans to set up a hand-made paper making centre at the RRC. Further, shredding equipments are also being provided by the Department to be used for shredding the collected material at the RRC, which would bring down the volume of collected waste and compact it to a large extent.