Face to Face with Ramesh Kumar / Our main thrust is to solve the issue of bulk waste management: Comm JMC

Discussion on Bulk waste management with hoteliers, restaurant owners, Nursing home owners and banquet hall owners is on cards.
This was stated by the Commissioner, JMC Ramesh Kumar during his exclusive interaction with the Youth Bites.
Here are the excerpts.
Vijay Gupta
VG: Solid waste management is still a big issue for the JMC, why?
RK: Jammu Municipal Corporation is very serious to solve this issue as no major headway has been made on establishment of Solid Waste Management Plant at Kot Bhalwal. Even at selecting a new site we are facing sharp criticism from the people living in the vicinity of the site.
Meanwhile in order to finding an early solution, we have floated tender for setting up of Solid Waste Management Plant on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode but the process failed to yield the desirable results because of certain tough conditions. Now, the fresh tender has been floated and we are hopeful that some major progress could be made on establishment of Solid Waste Management Plant.
VG: What was the main motive behind holding such a meeting with hoteliers and restaurant owners?
RK: Main motive behind the meeting was to review the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and issued instructions to the stake holders present in the meeting for strict implementation of solid waste management Rules 2016.
We asked the participants to install Sewerage and Treatment Plant (STP) as well as compost machine in their respective establishments, which would help in minimizing the accumulation of waste and added that compost so generated be used as manure in their establishments as well as parks and other green places.
We further stressed upon the participants to store the waste generated at source in three different streams viz. Bio-degradable, non- bio degradable and hazardous waste in suitable colour bins and ensure its channelization to authorized waste pickers/ registered recyclers or waste collection agencies.
They were also impressed upon to ensure source segregation and process/ treat bio-degradable waste within their premises through composting or bio methanation. They were also asked not to throw or burn or dump the solid waste on streets, open public spaces or in the drain or water bodies.
VG: The Solid Waste Management Rules got incorporated in 2016, why there is so much delay?
RK: This is true that the solid waste management rulers were incorporated in 2016, but its implementation were delayed due to some unavoidable circumstances. But now we are trying our best that this issue would be resolved soon. It is pertinent to mention here that every day around 380 metric tons of garbage is being generated in Jammu and unless scientific disposal of the same is ensured health and environmental hazards will continue to loom large over the area where the same is being dumped.
In this regard we undertook a meeting on bulk waste management with hoteliers, restaurant owners, Nursing home owners and banquet hall owners as a step towards Swachh Bharat Mission.