DEC discusses Distt Environment Plan in Rajouri

Rajouri : District Environment Committee (DEC) Thursday discussed and reviewed the activities incorporated in the Environment Plan here at its meeting chaired by District Development Commissioner Rajouri, Vikas Kundal.
Officers present in the meeting included DFO Rajouri, Arshdeep Singh; DFO Nowshera, Neelima; ADC Rajouri, Sachin Dev Singh; ACD, Vijay Kumar; ACP, Abdul Rashid Kohli; DO PCB, Anupam Kaul; DMO, Mohd Naseeb; MS DH, Dr Mehmood; EO Municipalities and other concerned officers.
The plan is aimed at improving overall parameters of environment in the district by taking up widespread plantation, take measures to curb use of plastic/ polythene, improve the mechanism for disposal of solid waste and hospital waste, promotion of community participation and mass awareness, strengthening Green Clubs, soil and moisture conservation, water conservation, measures aimed at curbing air and water pollution and set up an effective grievance redress mechanism.
Detailed discussions were held on methods and plans for solid waste management, biomedical waste management, plastic waste management, pollution abatement in non-attainment areas, restoration of identified polluted river stretches and industrial waste management.
Other points included domestic sewage management, mining activities management, hazardous waste management, e-waste management, water quality management, air quality and noise pollution management and restoration of water bodies was held in the meeting.
Discussing the solid waste management efforts, the meeting was informed that material recovery facilities (MRF) are being established in all the municipal areas of the district, while the land for setting up the solid waste management plants in all urban areas has also been identified.
Regarding biomedical waste management measures, it was apprised that the DPRs for STP and ETP for catering to 193 Health care facilities have been submitted to the concerned authorities for necessary action at their end.
Reviewing the plastic waste management, the DDC asked the concerned officers to educate the public about the ill effects of single use plastic and motivate them to adopt eco-friendly alternatives to polythene.
Regarding mining activities management, he asked the concerned officers to ensure that only scientific mining is done in the river beds and take stern action against the violators of the mining norms.
The committee also decided to carry out a plantation drive in each village with maximum public participation to enhance the green cover of the district.
Similarly, a threadbare discussion on other points was also held.
The meeting also held deliberations on steps taken to control water and air pollution, implementation of new technologies to reduce the waste and pollution, besides preservation of water bodies, awareness on usage of dust bins, door to door collection of waste material and management of mining activities in the district.
He also asked the officers of all line departments to work in tandem and put in extra efforts for devising a suitable environmental plan besides making the protection and preservation of the environment an integral part of our development plan.