New Delhi: Eminent personalities like Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Uma Bharti, Secretary Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Param Iyer, Minister of Parliament from Darjeeling SS Ahluwalia, Joint Secretary V. Radha, to name a few and open defecation free (ODF) champions who have brought about significant change in their respective villages and districts joined a national level consultative workshop on Solid Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) in New Delhi today. Agenda being to discuss solutions related to management of solid and liquid waste in a bid to sustain open defecation free tag in the ODF villages and district and move towards getting ODF Plus tag, which refers to total sanitation in terms of solid waste management, improved sewerage lines, stormwater drains and pucca cement roads.
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The Solid Liquid Resource Management conference is a 2-day affair, starting from February 22 to 23 and is being organised by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation (Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Gramin). The conference is being called as a Green Conference as the event itself is a zero waste event. There is no usage of plastic and styrofoam products, moreover, biodegradable file covers, pencils, carry bags and reusable cutlery are being used.
The prime motive behind this green conference is to help the ministry in coming up with best Solid and Liquid Resource Management practices in various locations of the country in a bid to fulfill the goal of clean India by 2019 dream.
Speaking at the event, Param Iyer highlighted the importance of solid and liquid resource management and how it can contribute to a sustainable #OpenDefecationFree India.
Secretary MDWS, Shri @paramiyer_ highlighted the importance of solid and liquid resource management and how it can contribute to a sustainable #OpenDefecationFree India. #WasteToResource @tatatrusts pic.twitter.com/K0GNuaoPev
— Swachh Bharat I #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav (@swachhbharat) February 22, 2018
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He further said,
Swachh Bharat Mission (G) has achieved a 100% growth rate in the past three years, Individual Household Latrine coverage has increased from 39% in 2014 to approximately 80% in 2017. It is now important to focus on #ODF sustainability and Swachh Villages by implementing SLRM.
“Swachh Bharat Mission (G) has achieved a 100% growth rate in the past 3 years, IHHL coverage has increased from 39% in 2014 to approximately 80% in 2017. It is now important to focus on #ODF sustainability and Swachh Villages by implementing SLRM" – Secretary, MDWS @paramiyer_
— Swachh Bharat I #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav (@swachhbharat) February 22, 2018
Reiterating the same point, Union Minister Uma Bharti said,
The villages, the districts, which have become ODF, will now move towards the ODF Plus. It is the need of the hour.
Join Secretary V. Radha who kick-started the conference talked about starting Gobar-Dhan project in some of the selected villages in a bid to improve solid and liquid waste she added,
Gobar-dhan will be implemented in selected village panchayats of 300 in the first phase. The profile of waste in India is more organic than inorganic which is very different from developed economies.
Highlighting how cow-dung can be useful in rural India, Head of the Centre for Rural development and Technology, IIT Delhi and National Coordinator Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Professor Virendra K Vijay added,
Cow dung can be useful. 20 by-products can come out of bio-slurry alone. We can look at two models – waste to energy and waste to compost.
Apart from this, the conference also aims to discuss topics like Menstrual Waste Management, Plastic Waste Management and come out with good waste management plans to be implemented across India.
Glimpses from the exhibition at the National Solid & Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) workshop in New Delhi. #WasteToResource @tatatrusts pic.twitter.com/9ypZIO2pvC
— Swachh Bharat I #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav (@swachhbharat) February 22, 2018
