Country can't be made clean without fixing Delhi's garbage crisis: Housing and Urban Affairs Minister

TNN Bureau. Updated: 9/24/2017 5:53:03 PM National

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri today said the country can't be made clean without fixing the garbage problem in Delhi, that has reached the proportion of a crisis. Participating in the 'Swachhta Hi Sewa' campaign at Bhikaji Cama Place in South Delhi, sweeping and collecting the litter, Mr Puri said being a citizen and resident of Delhi was a 'matter of pride' and a unique privilege that brings several advantages in the form of better services and amenities not available in other cities.

However, this pride would be punctured, if Delhi was not made clean and the garbage issue was not addressed properly, Mr Puri added. Later addressing the sanitation workers and officials of the Ministry and South Delhi Municipal Corporation who undertook shramdan along with him, Mr Puri said ''I would like to invoke that pride of being residents of the national capital, shed lethargy and make due contribution to effective solid waste management, so that we can overcome the garbage, which is threatening to adversely impact the lives of all.'' Stating that solid waste management in cities would be a major challenge in urban areas over the next two years, Mr Puri stressed on the need to convert the 'individual connect' with sanitation demand into 'social connect' to ensure the success of the solid waste management chain through collective action. The Minister also unveiled 'My Home-My Neighborhood' (Ghar Bi Saaf-Pados Bhi Saaf) campaign on the occasion.

The campaign will work on segregation of waste at source, compost making from wet waste within the neighborhood area, recycling of dry waste, freeing the neighborhood from open defecation and open urination, motivating neighborhood residents against throwing garbage in open spaces; and adopting a nearby park or open place for collection and waste segregation. Mr Puri said this neighborhood action plan will lead to substantial reduction in the quantum of solid waste sent to landfill, besides enabling better performance of Waste-to-Compost and Waste-to-Energy plants. Kamaljeet Sherawat, Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Dr Puneet Goyal, Commissioner of SDMC besides senior officials of the Ministry and SDMC, apart from the public, participated in shramdan.


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