TEZU, 21 Oct: Lohit Deputy Commissioner Kesang Ngurup Damo emphasized the importance of segregating waste at source, saying that behavioural change and civic sense are crucial for maintaining cleanliness.
Chairing a meeting of the governing body of the DUDA here on Tuesday, the DC urged all its members to visit the material recovery facility (MRF) to assess its present condition and functioning. He also directed them to conduct “regulatory enforcement drives” against the use of single-use plastic twice a week to ensure hygienic condition of markets.
“Keeping Tezu clean demands teamwork and inter-departmental coordination among all stakeholders,” he said, and urged all officers to continue their collaborative efforts in maintaining a clean and healthy township environment.
Approximately 138 MT of waste is collected in Tezu town monthly, out of which 2.48 MTs are processed and about 135 MTs remain unprocessed at the MRF, DUDA Member Secretary and Executive Engineer Bapenlu Kri said.
The unprocessed waste mainly consists of single-use plastic, old clothes, shoes, and e-waste, which are not accepted by scrap dealers due to lack of market demand, Kri said.
Giving a detailed presentation on the working module of waste management in Tezu township, he said that each of the 24 wards has a designated mentor, a youth ambassador, and a self-help group responsible for supervising and supporting waste management activities.
Kri informed that medical waste is not collected by the DUDA and must be disposed of by the medical facilities themselves, as mandated by the waste management byelaws.
A new initiative, the construction of a ‘waste-to-plastic road’ at the MRF site, is underway, he said, adding that installation of an external power supply has been proposed to improve the efficiency of the MRF, which is currently operated manually.
The partial outsourcing of MRF operations was also discussed, wherein 60% of the revenue generated will go to the DUDA and 40% to Feedback Foundation, which will assist in IEC activities, waste segregation, and sales of recyclables.
The Tezu RFO suggested that businessmen and shop owners, being sources of single-use plastic, should be included in governing body meetings to ensure ground-level implementation. (DIPRO)
