BHUBANESWAR: Devising a new strategy to deal with construction and demolition debris in urban areas, the state government has decided to rope in Mission Shakti and members of the transgender community for effective management of such waste in urban local bodies (ULBs).
In a letter to the district collectors, municipal commissioners and executive officers of municipalities and NACs, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Housing and Urban Development department G Mathivathanan said ULBs will sign MoUs with the Mission Shakti or transgender community members to allow them to collect and transport the waste to the processing units that would be set up in their jurisdiction.
Charges for collection and transportation of the waste will be paid by the waste generators, while big firms and agencies that generate over 20 tonne of waste every day or 300 tonne of waste per project in 30 days will submit their waste management plan to the ULB authorities before undertaking any construction and demolition activity. They will pay the disposal and processing fees for the construction and demolition waste generated by them.
The processing plant to be set up in the ULBs will also be operated and managed by the groups engaged by the civic bodies and they would also provide support for marketing of recycled products such as bricks, tiles, paver blocks and kerb stones.
Officials said the move will not only help in dealing with the waste but will also help in generating direct employment for many.
The department has also asked the ULBs to form a surveillance team that will take the responsibility of lifting the waste dumped at random places without permission and dispose it appropriately. The surveillance team will also monitor the waste management plan of the civic body from time to time.