CSE launches forum to promote segregation of waste at source

Twenty urban local bodies from different parts of the country, including three from Delhi, have pledged to achieve the target of 100 per cent segregation of waste at source by October 2019, a green body today said.
The 'Forum of Cities that Segregate' was launched by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) here to lend impetus to the campaign for waste segregation at source.
Municipalities from 13 states have pledged to joined this forum.
"They include three municipal authorities from Delhi (the New Delhi Municipal Corporation, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation), and urban bodies of Bengaluru, Patna, Gurugram, Imphal, Gangtok, Greater Hyderabad, Bhopal, Indore, Thiruvananthapuram, and Mysuru," the CSE said in a statement.

"From collection to disposal of waste, cities are struggling to implement an affordable and sustainable model. On the other hand, the amount of waste generated is increasing every day," CSE Director General Sunita Narain said.
She said urban India alone generated 1.5 lakh metric tonnes per day of municipal solid waste and the amount went up by 5 per cent every year.

On June 5, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had kickstarted a country-wide campaign to segregate waste at source.
"The main agenda of this forum is to give participating cities a platform for exchanging knowledge on solid waste management," says Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.

"We hope that the cities in the forum would become pioneers in terms of solid waste management and guide other cities on technical, economic and social aspects of managing their waste," he said.
The 20 urban local bodies from different parts of the country have pledged to achieve the target of 100 per cent segregation and fulfil the vision of Clean India by 2019, the CSE said.
The CSE has agreed to assist these municipalities on building their capacity.