BHUBANESWAR: The State government has decided to link gram panchayats (GPs) with urban local bodies (ULBs) and leverage the urban infrastructure for efficient management of fecal sludge and plastic waste generated in rural areas. The districts will tag the GPs to nearby ULBs for transportation of waste and its processing.
A decision to this effect has been taken by the Panchayati Raj and Housing and Urban Development departments. The departments have jointly issued a set of guidelines to the collectors asking them to implement it for protection of environment and ensure compliance to statutory requirements.
The move has already been implemented on pilot basis in Balasore Municipality tagging nearby 90 panchayats for availing the facilities and it has been found feasible in handling the waste.
Officials said fecal sludge treatment plants are functioning in 45 ULBs and are under construction in remaining urban areas. Similarly, the material recovery facilities (MRFs) have been set up in all the ULBs to process plastic waste.
"Linking the urban infrastructures to the sanitation activities of rural areas will help in effective management of these waste," they said.
As per the guidelines, the collectors are required to tag the panchayats located within 20 km of ULB to it and categorise them into three groups of areas falling under 10, 15 and 20 km. Accordingly, the district administration will fix tariff slabs and user charges.
Interested rural households having toilets and septic tanks may send their septage/ fecal sludge to the treatment plants of the ULB concerned on payment of the fixed charges. The collectors will also require to issue GP-wise charges for availing the cesspool services.
The districts will keep provision of digital payment open for rural households. The panchayats will be responsible to collect, segregate dry waste and transport it to the MRFs of the tagged ULBs. The panchayats will also bear the cost of transportation.
Guidelines
Collectors to tag panchayats located within 20 kms of urban local bodies to it
District administration will fix tariff slabs and user charges
Gram panchayats will be responsible to collect, segregate dry waste and transport it to MRFs
Panchayats will bear the cost of transportation