Pre-feasibility study: Nod given to solid waste management project

A project entitled “Integrated Scientific Solutions for Improving Legacy Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Indian Himalayan region” has been given a go-ahead for a year of the pre-feasibility study and on-site demonstration by the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) under the Environment Forest and Climate Change.

Raju Bista, the Member of Parliament from Darjeeling had written to the Minister in charge of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Government of India for approval of a project on January 30. “Under this project, the researchers will seek to mechanise the landfills with advanced technologies such as segregation of legacy waste, recycling of plastic waste treatment, utilisation of construction and demolition waste, processing of biodegradable waste, and treatment of leachate from legacy waste,” state a press release from Bista.

“The segregated waste will be processed further and converted into various utilities such as organic waste into vermicompost, plastic waste into making flower pots etc, and construction waste into bricks to be made from it,” it stated.

“More importantly, the mechanized waste segregation system will minimize the health hazard to the workers at municipal landfill sites and increase the efficiency in the segregation of waste,” stated the release.

“It is to inform you that the proposal has been approved by the Steering Committee for a pre-feasibility study with one site demonstration in one year with a budget of Rs 1.49 crore,” stated the letter addressed to Raju Bista.