VIJAYAWADA: After achieving ‘open defecation free’ (ODF) status, Krishna district administration is aiming to achieve ODF+ by the end of December this year, in all 970 panchayats across the district. In order to achieve this, the district officials are planning to do waste segregation at house-level in the villages and convert those into other useful things. Apart from this, the officials are planning to plant one crore saplings in the district and want to complete the plantation works by November 23.
The district officials are also planning to hold two major festivals in the month of August - one food festival and another international-standard horticulture festival.
Speaking to TNIE, Krishna district collector, B Lakshmikantham said, “We have achieved ODF status, which is the first in the State. Now, we want to make it ODF+ and we have chosen to develop that from the village level. All the 970 village panchayats in Krishna district will be taking part in the segregation of waste and then go ahead with further processing of the wastes. The wet waste will be converted to vermi compost, which can be traded for `10/kg.”
The officials have laid special focus on disposing medical wastes, such as sanitary napkins, bio-medical waste generated in the primary health centres (PHCs), sub-centres at village-panchayat level in the district. Through NREGA schemes, the district officials are also planning to instal incinerator and shredders at related ‘prime areas’ of the villages.
“The hospital waste from health centres in the villages and the sanitary napkin waste will be disposed through incinerators. These will be installed, say near the girls’ hostels or the health centres. Similarly, with shredders; all the plastic waste will be recycled and then sold to the Panchayat Raj department, for laying of roads, at a cost of `25/kg,” said B Lakshmikantham.
With regard to the plantation works in the district, the officials want to give more focus to the villages. All the village roads will get 100 per cent avenue plantations and the farmers will be encouraged to take up horticulture plantations; apart from these there will be ‘bund plantations’ near lakes and rivers, ‘institutional plantations’, etc..
“By November 23, this year, we want to complete the one-crore plantations in the district. It has stood first for taking up various (welfare) initiatives and we have received as many as 25 awards, which include, international, national and State awards, during last four years,” the district collector said.
Waste segregation at doorstep
The administration is laying special focus on disposing medical wastes, such as sanitary napkins and
bio-medical wastes generated at PHCs
Apart from this, the officials are planning to plant one crore saplings in the district and want to complete the plantation works by Nov 23.
The officials are also planning to hold two major festivals in August - one food festival and another international-standard horticulture festival