Alappuzha model of waste management for State mooted

A Correspondent

Shillong,  April 29:  A delegation led by Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling with PHE Minister Samlin Malgniang and government chief whip Agatha K Sangma as members visited Alappuzha town in Kerala for a first hand knowledge of the unique waste management model.

During the visit, the Ministers and officials from Meghalaya had consultation and discussion with officials of the Alappuzha municipal authorities. They also visited different site of the project to get firsthand experience.

Alappuzha model has the distinction and recognition for its successful and sustainable management of solid waste under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the best in the world. As per of the ambitious project, Alappuzha Municipal Board established 5000 kitchen bins, 3000 biogas plants, 2800 pipe composting units and 218 aerobic compositing units in the municipal areas by way of which the town was able to take care of 80 percent of its waste produced by a population of 1.74 lakh.

“Kerala’s Alappuzha has a decentralized plan that enables every household to go green and treat domestic biodegradable waste in their own backyards,” said Agatha K. Sangma, while narrating her experience on Sunday. “We discussed the Alappuzha model for waste management and how to implement the same in Meghalaya municipal areas. On a pilot basis the project would be started in Shillong and Tura soon,” said Hamletson Dohling. The delegation informed that Meghalaya would focus on waste segregation in all municipal areas. “In 2022, Meghalaya will host the National Games; it will be our target to ensure that we are able to manage our waste and make Meghalaya waste-free as early as possible. We will work on target and deadline to achieve our objective,” Dohling added.