Gram panchayat neglecting garbage wealth units

Srikakulam: The aim of the Central government to create wealth from garbage is going awry despite funds’ allotment due to the alleged negligence of gram panchayats. It was criticised that the gram panchayats in the district are neglecting garbage management.

The Central government had allotted funds through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which would be spent by the District Water Management Agency (DWMA). At district level, DWMA is the nodal agency for implementation of the works under MGNREGS. As part of it, with the consent of the gram panchayats concerned, garbage management and creation of wealth from garbage units were established at several villages across the district by DWMA under MGNREGS.

After constructing these garbage management units, DWMA officials handed over them to the gram panchayats, which should maintain and create wealth by managing garbage effectively. The main concept of the government in constructing these units is to make villages garbage-free, maintain good sanitary and also to create wealth like manure etc through the garbage and make it eco-friendly to prevent pollution of soil, air and water. As per the statistics available with gram panchayat officials and MGNREGS data, a total of 748 garbage managements and creation of wealth from garbage units were established across the district during the last five years. For each unit, excluding land cost, Rs 5 lakh per unit was spent under MGNREGS including material and labour. DWMA project director GV Chitti Raju said that after the construction of garbage management units, they handed over the same to the gram panchayats concerned and they have to maintain it by spending amount. But, in most of the gram panchayats, these units are not working and garbage was being dumped adjacent to these units and recycling of the garbage is not being done.

When contacted District Panchayat Officer K Ravi Kumar to know more details, he could not be reached.