Ladakh: Solid and Plastic Waste Management policy in pipeline

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LEH: The Union Territory of Ladakh is about to come up with a new policy on solid waste and plastic waste management to achieve ‘zero waste’ status through innovations and sustainable interventions. The aim of the draft policy is to make Ladakh a garbage-free, energy efficient and carbon neutral waste management region. According to the official spokesperson, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Commissioner Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, discussed the draught policy at the 4th advisory committee of Solid Waste Management meeting.

Sahu said in the meeting that policy guidelines must be devised to foster behavioural change in individuals, households, and institutions in order to reduce waste generation. He said that the policy must include the identification, registration, and regulation of rag-pickers and garbage traders. The Union Territory’s rag-pickers should be provided identification cards and uniforms. To attain 100 per cent door-to-door collection of solid waste, Sahu stated that landlords will be responsible for notifying the municipality, whether or not their tenants’ waste is being collected.

Saugat Biswas, Secretary, Rural Development Department, emphasised the need of ensuring the dignity and well-being of sanitation employees, especially rag-pickers, by introducing regular health check-ups, uniforms, and protective gear for sanitation workers and rag-pickers into policy. Other policy goals include eliminating any secondary waste collection points to achieve a bin-free region, improving hygiene and garbage-free rankings at the national level, and having a solid waste management infrastructure that can withstand extreme cold and dry weather, according to the spokesman.

It is hoped that the policy would ensure 100 per cent segregation of residential and commercial waste at the source, as well as processing of the segregated waste, 100 per cent door-to-door collection of solid waste from all properties, and integrated waste management (centralised and decentralised) for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, thereby causing limited sanitary landfill disposal. The strategy will also address the management of building and demolition waste, as well as recycling, according to the spokeswoman.