Centre’s Biotechnology Department Collects Over 500 Tonnes Plastic Waste In Three Months From Drains In Delhi

New Delhi: The central government’s Department of Biotechnology has collected over 500 tonnes of plastic waste in three months with the help of small pilot projects at Barapullah and Babarpur drains, officials informed Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Friday (August 23). At a meeting with Principal Scientific Advisor professor K Vijay Raghavan, Department of Biotechnology, experts from the IIT-Delhi, representative of DESMI, Denmark, and officers of municipal corporations of Delhi, Mr Baijal discussed the possible solutions for cleaning of drains and remediating legacy waste (wastes that piled up for several years at the dumping yards) in the city.

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DESMI is a manufacturer of pump solutions for marine, industry, oil spill combating, defence and fuel and utility. “It was informed to the LG that with the small pilot projects at Barapullah and Babarpur drains, the DBT has been able to collect over 500 tonnes of plastic waste in three months,” a statement from the LG House said.

These beginnings are very heart warming and open wider opportunity to clear other drains of Delhi to realize the dream of a clean Yamuna. Replication of these solutions will definitely clear the drains and lead to transformation in community living around these drains, it said.

Mr Baijal lauded the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, IIT-Delhi and Department of Biotechnology for their sustained efforts and continued innovations to help clean Delhi.

It is also very encouraging to learn about huge response from global experts for legacy waste remediation at Ghazipur. Concerted efforts from all stakeholders will pave way for cleaner and greener Delhi, the statement quoted him as saying.

Also Read: Plastic Free Railway: Indian Railways To Enforce Ban On Single-Use Plastic From October 2

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.