Minister emphasis on segregation of waste at source

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Krishna Byre Gowda directed Swaccha Bharath Mission officials and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer to bring in behavioural changes and take up segregation of waste at the source in Gram Panchayats.

Speaking after inspecting the Golthamajalu solid waste management unit in Bantwal taluk on Tuesday, he said it is a challenge to bring in behavioural changes among the people on the segregation of waste. But there is a need to create awareness on the needs for segregating the waste, he felt.

He said that priority is being given to promoting sustainable waste management in villages. Waste management is a problem in rural areas. The garbage has to be
treated as a resource and there is a huge demand for the compost prepared from the solid waste management units, he added.

“If we fail to segregate the waste at the source, then it will be a double work at the unit. Dry waste from the interior villages should be collected once in a week,” he said.

Swaccha Bharath Mission district coordinator Manjula said that there are 1,855 houses in Golthamajalu Gram Panchayat and among them, waste is collected from 66 households.

When Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr M R Ravi spoke about promoting biogas units, the minister did not favour it.

Later, the minister visited liquid waste management unit at Kalladka, wherein the liquid wastewater (other than from toilets) from 55 households, three hotels and three chicken stalls are being treated and later used for irrigating the farmland.

The minister directed the officials to make use of the technology to treat sewage from toilets of the households as well.

He also visited the vented dam constructed under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) at Nedlamudnooru in Bantwal taluk. The vented dam is constructed at a cost of Rs 4.22 lakh.

He said that such vented dams should be constructed more using the funds under MGNREGS to improve the groundwater table.

The water from such vented dams can be used for farmlands during summer, he added.

The Zilla Panchayat has proposed to construct 1,000 vented dams under MGNREGS. Among them, the construction of 456 vented dams has been completed. There is a need to promote such vented dams at villages. It will take time for sanctioning projects under Minor Irrigation Department. Every Gram Panchayat should take up the work on vented dams as a campaign to improve the water table, he explained.

The minister also visited Kallige Gram Panchayat and collected details on house tax and water tax collection.

Ravi said that calling bells in all the households in Kallige Gram Panchayat play the Swachh Bharat tune to convey the message of cleanliness. The jingles highlight the need to segregate waste at source, shun plastic and open defecation and maintain cleanliness in the surroundings, he added.

District In-charge Minister U T Khader, former minister B Ramanath Rai and MLA Rajesh Naik U were present.