Garbage heap at Ramchak Bairia in Patna. photo awakening
Jagran correspondent, Patna. A major step has been taken towards disposal of more than 13 lakh tonnes of old waste (legacy waste) accumulated in the capital over the years. Patna has been included among the major cities under the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Program (DRAP) launched by the Central Government to deal with the problem of dumpsites across the country. This initiative will not only strengthen the cleanliness system of the city, but is also expected to provide relief to the environment and public health.
DRAP program has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in mission-mode under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. Its main objective is to achieve the target of 'zero dumpsites' by October 2026 by scientifically cleaning the waste accumulated over years at open dumpsites across the country. Legacy waste is waste that, when left in the open for a long time, produces toxic gases, foul smell, water and land pollution and causes serious health problems.
Under DRAP across the country, 214 large dumpsites of 203 urban bodies have been identified, which are burdened with about 80 percent of the country's old waste. Patna, Bhagalpur, Bettiah, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, Sasaram and Dehri (Dalmia Nagar) have been included in this program from Bihar. Among these, Patna is one of the most affected cities, where more than 13 lakh tonnes of old waste alone is accumulated. This garbage is in Ramchak Bairia.
The progress of waste disposal under the program will be monitored by public representatives and concerned officials. Along with this, emphasis has been laid on participation of private agencies, use of modern machines, GPS based monitoring and public awareness campaigns. The special thing is that to prevent new waste from going to the dumpsite, waste separation and processing at the source itself will be made mandatory.
The government believes that successful implementation of DRAP will not only eliminate mountains of old waste, but will also free up land to be used for green areas, public facilities or other development purposes. It is expected that there will be significant improvement in cleanliness, environmental protection and standard of living of citizens in Patna and other cities.
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