Clean tips for city waste

Patna: The city’s waste generation will be doubled in the next 10 years as the pace of urbanisation has grew manifold and it will test the overall efficacy of various authorities working for the sustainable development of Patna, said Ashok Ghosh, chairman, Bihar State Pollution Control Board.

He was speaking at a seminar on waste management organised by Sustainable Development Forum under the aegis of the Institution of Engineers (India) Bihar state chapter to find innovative ways for the sustainable development of the state in general and of Patna in particular.

Ashok Ghosh, former professor, department of environment and water management studies in AN College, explained that with the massive accumulation of mixed waste in urban landscapes, the city needs an efficient urban waste management infrastructure as the average waste generation capacity in Patna is nearly 1kg per capita per month at present and will increase manifold in the years to come.

“Meanwhile most parts of the generated waste are treatable with scientific means. But due to lack of awareness about waste segregation, the garbage we generate would not be converted into energy easily. Therefore there is a clear need to establish waste treatment facilities across the state in order to turn waste into wealth.”

Stressing on the people’s moral responsibility to keep their surroundings clean, he said: “The problem of waste and environmental pollution wouldn’t be tackled at the government level alone. No government initiative can succeed until people pledge to intervene to keep their environment pollution-free.”

In a statement, Ghosh who is the head of the research centre at Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, Patna, chided hospitals in the city for improper management of pharmaceutical waste that led to groundwater contamination in the areas adjacent to the medical facilities and at the same time can cause spread of infectious diseases. “The bio-medical waste is putting the lives of people at risk therefore hospitals must adhere to the norms for its effective disposal as underlined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

He also urged people to seek alternative options instead of plastic in their daily lives. Citing the theme of World Environment Day, 2018, “Beat Plastic Pollution” on June 5, he appealed people to come forward and make their areas free of plastic consumption so that the negative impacts of plastic on environment and human health would be minimised.

Courtesy: The Telegraph