VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary LV Subramanyam directed the officials concerned to chalk out a plan to collect a fee from the vendors who use plastic to sell food packets, and use the money for environmental conservation. He also instructed them to ensure effective waste collection from houses to turn it into compost.
In a review meeting on the steps taken to comply with the norms of National Green Tribunal (NGT) at the Secretariat on Thursday, the Chief Secretary told the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department to prepare a time-bound plan for ensuring complete compliance to the green panel’s directives.
On the occasion, the MAUD commissioner GSRK Vijay Kumar explained that out of the 36 lakh urban houses, wastes segregation was being done in 28.79 lakh houses. He added that a monitoring system on waste collection would be in place by December.
He further explained that waste-to-energy plants were also being set up. While one was established in Guntur, another is being readied in Visakhapatnam, Vijay Kumar noted.
Earlier in the day, the CS also took stock of the progress of the houses being built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).