Shillong to implement solid waste management model of Alappuzha

SHILLONG: The officials of Meghalaya are now looking at Kerala’s Alappuzha waste management model to solve their crisis of managing solid waste generated in the city. A team of officials from Meghalaya recently visited Alappuzha to study the waste management model implemented by the corporation.

Hamletson Dohling, Minister of Urban Affairs, Meghalaya said, “Following our visit to Alappuzha, we are now implementing two compost plants on a pilot basis at two localities of Shillong city, one at Pohkseh and another at Lawjynriew.”

The minister said that new compost plant will be able to treat around 30 tonnes of waste daily. Currently around 130 tonnes of waste every day is being dumped at Mawlai Mawïong dumping ground from around the Shillong city. The two new compost plants will be able to help in reducing the pile in the dumping ground.

In April last year, a delegation led by Dohling along with Samlin Malngiang, Minister in-charge of public health engineering, and former MLA of South Tura, and Agatha K Sangma, Lok Sabha MP from Tura, had visited Alappuzha city to study the unique waste management model being implemented there.

The team visited Alappuzha and discussed the solid waste management practices implemented by them in the city and gather firsthand knowledge and experience and how the Alappuzha model could be replicated in Meghalaya.

The team also decided to replicate the Alappuzha city solid waste management model to be implemented in the city and Tura town for segregation of waste and set a target to make Shillong city garbage free before National Games to be held in 2022.

Dohling said, “In Alappuzha, wastes are being segregated between biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Alappuzha has a decentralised plan that enabled every household to go green and treat domestic biodegradable waste in their own backyards. We also want to decentralise waste management down to localities with the cooperation of the people, otherwise we are facing a big problem from now on.”

The Alappuzha district has been recognised for its successful and sustainable management of solid waste under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as one of the best across the world.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had also rated Alappuzha as the cleanest town in India after Mysuru and Panaji in 2016.