GHMC boss calls upon NGOs to help govt with waste management

​Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner M Dana Kishore called upon the voluntary organisations and NGOs to help the government in reducing waste generation.

Inaugurating the two day National Waste Alternative Conclave at Shilpa Kala Vedika here at Madhapur on Monday, Dana Kishore said that 70 to 80 per cent of the waste produced is collected and only 30 per cent of it is segregated. He said that India was the 5th largest e-waste producer in the world and it is not recycled.

Dana Kishore said that aspects need to be looked at when it comes to recycling of waste. The GHMC commissioner said that as per an estimate by the year 2050, Hyderabad needs 1,450 square kilometre of land for filling waste but the sad fact is that it is difficult even to get one square kilometre land. At a time when the government resources are dwindling, there are challenges ahead and every citizen has to look at alternatives. 

“If the present generation has to handover healthy environment, then it has to look at alternative. Government needs funding and where the funding would come from? How the awareness can be created and how the technology can be put to use. The voluntary organisations can help government in reducing the waste generation and recycling,” said Dana Kishore.

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy said that if the waste is not segregated it can lead to pollution. He said that everyday 5,000 metric tonnes of waste is collected in Hyderabad. In every city there is a mountain of thrash and it is a permanent problem and there is a need for alternative use of the waste. Kitchen waste can be used as compost. The Government of India made it mandatory for the fertiliser companies to take 10 per cent of the kitchen waste. He said that there is a garbage collector in Rajendranagar who earns Rs 25,000 per month with waste management.

The former GHMC commissioner said that government distributed 44 lakh bins but these were not used properly. The Swachh auto drivers said that the families were not segregating, and the families say that the auto drivers mix the waste in their autos. He said that more number of stakeholders have to be involved and learn from other States. GHMC additional and zonal commissioner Hari Chandana Dasari, additional commissioner, Swachh Bharat Mission Shruti Ojha, Elets editor-in-chief Ravi Gupta and others were also present.