CHANDIGARH: In a first, all urban areas in the Indian states of Haryana and Punjab have been declared open defecation free (ODF), according to a statement by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. The statement, which was released on Tuesday, September 8, stated that all cities in the states of Punjab and Haryana have been certified as being ODF while Chandigarh has achieved 100 per cent door-to-door waste collection.
Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA, held a meeting with senior officials of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. Chandigarh is currently processing 91 per cent of the 482 tonnes of waste the state generates daily, while Haryana is processing 50 per cent of the 4,985 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste the state generates.
The statement by the Ministry said, “Punjab is currently processing 71 per cent of the 4,108 TPD of waste generated. The ministry secretary requested states and Union Territories to increase the processing capacity.” In addition to this, source segregation of waste is being practiced in 77 and 65 per cent of wards in Punjab and Haryana respectively.
In Chandigarh, source segregation is being practiced in 92 per cent of the wards, it stated, adding that Mishra requested all to ensure that 100 per cent source segregation is achieved expeditiously.