Bista thanks minister of for Environment, Forest and Climate Change for Hill project of Solid Waste Management

SNS, SILIGURI, 21 MARCH 2023 : Darjeeling's BJP MP Raju Bista has thanked Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) Bhupendra Yadav for approving the "Integrated Scientific Solutions for Improving Legacy Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Indian Himalayan region" under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies implemented by the MoEF & CC." 

I had written to the Hon'ble Minister on the 30th of January in this regard and I applaud the young Gorkha scientist Dr Rakshak Kumar Acharya, of the CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bio resource Technology, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, who made such a strong case for our region. 

Dr Acharya had submitted proposals for Darjeeling and Kalimpong Municipalities. The Darjeeling Municipality project has been approved in the first cycle of call for proposals issued during 2022-23, and in the second phase Kalimpong Municipality will also be included," Mr Bista said. 

According to him, Darjeeling hills, the Terai and Dooars region is one of the most beautiful regions in India and it is our collective duty to keep the place clean and green. "So, I had reached out to both Darjeeling and Kalimpong Municipality Chairman to support this proposal, and I am grateful to both of them for reciprocating positively," he said. 

Under this project, researchers seek to mechanize the landfills with advanced technologies such as segregation of legacy waste, recycling of plastic waste treatment, utilization of construction and demolition waste, processing of biodegradable waste, and treatment of leachate front legacywaste, Mr Bista added. 

He said the segregated waste will be processed further and converted into various utilities' such as, organic waste into vermicompost, plastic waste into making flower pots etc, and construction waste into bricks to be made from it. 

"More importantly, the mechanized waste segregation system will minimize the health hazard to the workers at municipal landfill sites and increase the efficiency in the segregation of waste. I applaud the visionary new approach developed by our scientists, and l am confident that the success of this project will encourage the Central and State government to implement the project across all Municipalities in our Himalayan region," Mr Bista said in a release.