No disposal mechanism, waste dumped along roads in Kasauli

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 5

With no disposal mechanism in place, solid waste can be seen dumped along roads and in vacant spaces in rural areas around Kasauli. Most of the roads remain littered with plastic and household waste as panchayats have failed to make proper waste-disposal arrangements.

Segregation norm

As per the Solid Waste Management Rules-2016, plastic waste is supposed to be segregated and sent for recycling, besides being used in road construction. Lalit Jain, director, Department of Environment Science

Piles of waste along roads have become a common sight and stench emanating from the waste fills the air, causing inconvenience to public. Animals, including cows and dogs, are often seen rummaging through the waste. Polythene bags, if consumed, sometimes leads to the death of cattle.

Despite the town being a tourism hub, open dumping of waste by residents has been going on since long. “As per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, plastic waste is supposed to be segregated and sent for recycling,” says Lalit Jain, Director, Department of Environment Science and Technology.

He says that his department was undertaking various initiatives to make people aware about the proper disposal of waste. There was, however, little compliance of norms as there was no penalty on panchayats for non-compliance. Setting up of a plastic recycle hub is mandatory in every development block, but no such exercise is underway in the Dharampur area.

Though some investors have initiated a move to help nearby panchayats, there is little progress on the part of rural bodies to ensure proper disposal of household waste.

“As part of our corporate social responsibility, we have offered to help the panchayats concerned to set up a system for the proper disposal of household waste. In case a mechanism is developed, it will rid the area of waste being littered in the open,” says Govind Singh Rathore, CEO of Mohan Meakin Limited.

Funds have been received under the Swachh Bharat Mission to set up plastic recycle units in the state.

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