Highlights
- The waste segregation campaign will run until October 2, 2017
- Under Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, waste segregation is compulsory
- India will attempt a Guinness World Record with this campaign
New Delhi: In an ambitious move to make India free from its waste woes, the government will be launching a massive waste management campaign in 4000 cities across the country on June 5, the World Environment Day. The main motive behind this massive campaign by the government is to implement the practice of waste segregation at source across cities. Attributing June 5 as a special day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat‘ said, “This year the United Nations has chosen the theme ‘Connecting People to Nature.’ In other words, we may say, “back to basics.” Connecting with nature means nurturing a better planet. On the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, there are going to be litter bins made available to collect solid waste and liquid waste in 4000 towns of the country.”
This campaign will run until October 2, 2017 and once completed it will aim to set a world record for the maximum number of people pledging to segregate waste.
Breaking Down The Campaign Agenda
Under the campaign which will be held in association with the state governments and municipal representatives, there will be waste bins of blue and green colours that would be distributed in cities across India along with an awareness drive in which people will be told that kitchen waste like vegetable peels, leftover food, egg shells or leaves are all part of liquid waste and are to be placed in green litter bins. The second type of waste is considered dry waste that can be recycled by machines, like old newspapers, cardboard, iron, glass, cloth, plastic, leather, polythene, broken boxes, rubber, metals has to be placed in the blue waste bin.
Focus on waste management. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/zyBXSiyWdd
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 28, 2017
I have a firm belief that we will develop a culture and the new steps that we take towards achieving cleanliness will continue. Only then will we achieve the dream of Gandhiji, achieve the kind of cleanliness that he had dreamt of, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Also Read: Waste Management: How India Is Drowning In Garbage
Under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, the segregation of waste is already compulsory across India, but, many are unaware of these rules. In a bid to overcome this issue, the government is trying to promote the importance of waste management among people in this unique way.
Decoding Waste Segregation
Waste segregation at source simply means that citizens at the household level just need to sort the waste they create every day. Organic, wet kitchen waste should go together in one bin while dry waste like paper, plastic, packaging and glass should be put into a separate bin.
Prime minister, who has been driving the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign for over two years, said that even if a single individual decides, a huge public campaign can be built. Highlighting the importance of waste management he also added,“Just clean tonnes of waste and give it as gifts to people. How many people shall we be able to save from ill health, if we adopt this idea? This will be a big service to humanity. One thing, I would certainly like to say is that we should always consider these waste as resources and wealth. Do not see it as just garbage. Once we start looking at garbage and waste as a wealth, we shall also find newer, techniques of waste management.”
Caring for the environment is a part of our culture. Let us leave a better planet for the future. #MannKiBaat https://t.co/ZXl59gj8ra
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 28, 2017
Also Read: Government Targets 100% Waste Segregation, Eyes World Record
