ITANAGAR, 15 Nov: A team of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), led by its joint director and nodal officer Nixon Lego, is conducting a comprehensive three-day field survey in Namsai, Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley districts from 14 November.
Guided by the state urban development commissioner and urban local bodies director, the programme aims to gain first hand insights into local sanitation efforts, assess solid and liquid waste management practices and explore innovative revenue models and waste transformation strategies.
The team’s activities include in-depth discussions with local officers and engineers, as well as site inspections at key sanitation facilities.
A notable highlight of the survey was the tour of the ground breaking 40 KLD capacities faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) at Chongkham in Namsai.
This facility is set to provide significant environmental benefits by preventing ground and surface water contamination, processing sludge from septic tanks in Namsai, Tezu and Roing into organic manure.
Additionally, the team evaluated the operations at material recovery facilities (MRF) in Namsai and Tezu, where solid waste is sorted and processed. This process redirects materials away from landfills to scrap dealers for recycling.
An exceptional initiative highlighted during the visit is the collaboration between Lohit deputy commissioner Shashvat Saurabh and DUDA Tezu to establish a ‘waste to wonder’ park at the convention centre, Tezu.
The park, embodying the principles of recycle, reuse, and reduce, will showcase sustainable waste management by utilizing discarded materials for artistic and functional beautification, aiming to ensure zero waste is sent to dumpsites.
The visit facilitated a valuable exchange of knowledge and ideas, with contributions from PMU for SBM team leader Avanish Panwar, environmental specialist Yo Talum and various experts in solid and liquid waste management.
The insights gathered from the urban local bodies would be documented as exemplary practices for emulation by other towns, an official communiqué informed here on Wednesday.
