SHIMLA: Part of the Centre’s Smart City mission, Dharamshala is getting “India’s first city-wide sensor-based underground waste bin network”. Himachal Pradesh urban development minister Sudhir Sharma inaugurated the project from Dari Ground on Sunday.
“It is a matter of pride for every smart citizen of Dharamshala that hill town is going to be the first city of the country to manage its waste scientifically through smart technologies and achieve the status of ‘waste-free Dharamshala’,” said Sharma after dedicating the first phase of project.
“The town has moved far ahead in putting in place a state-of-the-art, highly advanced, municipal solid waste management system, based upon the principles of segregation at source, waste to value, zero land fill and community ownership,” the minister, who is also the local MLA, added.
He said that in the first phase, 70 hi-tech underground waste bins have been placed and made functional. He said as these waste bin are being placed in each ward of Dharamshala, they would not only protect the environment but would also protect the health of people.
Each location is provided with three stickered bins for biodegradable, non-biodegradable and inert material so that the residents can easily differentiate between bins for various types of wastes. This helps in facilitating the segregation of waste and enhances aesthetics of the surroundings.
The minister said that bins were designed with low-level throw-ins so that children and physically challenged people can easily use them. The relatively higher capacity will also help in reducing the collection frequency thus helping in reduction of operation cost of the system, he added.
A fully automated system reduced the possibility for physical contact with the waste and helped in improving the work condition for sanitary workers, he said, adding that it would also reduce the health hazards for the staff and increase the number of working days.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
