Reduce, reuse, recycle for development, waste management: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that all stakeholders must adhere to the "golden principle" of the 3Rs -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- which will significantly help in waste management and sustainable development.

The prime minister's message was to participants of the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Indore.

The mantra of 3R - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind," Modi said.

The conference, to end on April 12, will look at how the 3Rs can help make cities and countries "clean, smart, liveable and resilient", an official press release said.

"All stakeholders - producers, consumers and the State alike - must adhere to this golden principle which can contribute significantly in solving the twin challenges of waste management as well as sustainable development," Modi said in the message, according to the government release issued here today.

The theme of the event at Indore is 'Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency A 21st-Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities'.

The forum will start tomorrow with a pre-event ceremony welcoming more than 500 delegates from across India and the world, the release said.

It will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 10.

Japan's environment minister Tadahiko Ito will also be present at the event.

The forum will see the participation of around 40 mayors of cities from around the world and mayors of more than 100 cities across India.

The highlight of the event will be a series of sessions with mayors focusing on sustainable urban development and forging of inter-municipal partnerships and cooperation at the national and international level.

The conference will end with the signing and subsequent adoption of the Indore 3R Declaration on Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air' in cities by mayors and city authorities.

The Forum will also recognise and reward industries and civil society organisations carrying out exceptional work in the area of 3R for waste management.

The Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific will be hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, government of India, and co-organised by the Environment Ministry, government of Japan, and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the release said.

The forum also seeks to engage the public and private sectors in exploring partnership opportunities in areas of 3R and waste management for moving towards a zero-waste society.