OUR REPORTER AIZAWL, SEPT 14
A meeting was held at the AMC Conference Hall under the chairmanship of Aizawl Mayor LalrinengaSailo on Tuesday where discussions were held on the use of plastic waste for road construction.
The main aim of the meeting was to find a sustainable means to make use of plastic waste through options such as road construction. The meeting was attended by AMC Executive Councillor LaltlanzovaKhiangte who is in charge of Solid Waste Management and other AMC Officials as well as Mizoram Road Fund Board Secretariat Officials and Mizoram PWD Officials.
It was decided in the meeting that they will aim towards a sustainable means of utilising plastic waste for road construction as plastic waste is one of the most harmful pollutants for the environment.
According to reports, in 2016, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister NitinGadkari had announced the usage of plastic waste in road construction in 2016.
Since then, plastic waste has been used in constructing roads in 11 states. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, as much as 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in India, which is approximately 9,200 tonnes a day (TPD), in 2018-19.
The report stated that the total municipal solid waste generation is 55- 65 million tonnes and out of it, plastic waste is approximately 5-6 per cent.
To regulate use of plastic, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change came up with draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021, which proposes a ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of specific single-use plastic from January 1, 2022.
Specific single-use of plastic include plastic sticks for balloons, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, plastic flags, and thermocol.
(Source: The Mizoram Post Vol 19 Issue 111 Aizawl Wednesday 15 September http://www.themizorampost.net/page-view?date=15-09-2021&page_no=1)