Commitment to Appropriate Waste Disposal is Need of the Hour: CII

By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Haridwar, 26 Mar: CII Uttarakhand State Council with its Centre of Excellence CESD (CII–ITC Centre for Excellence and Sustainable Development) organised a One Day Training Programme on Waste Management Rules and Their Amendments here today. The programme focused on the importance of Waste Management, Various Acts and Rules and the amendments therein notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for better understanding of the compliance obligations required by the Industry.
The Confederation of Indian Industry organises such programmes to build awareness about the current rules and regulations governing waste management. The goal is to move the fundamental thinking away from “waste disposal” to “waste management”.
Satyavir Singh, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Haridwar, while addressing the participants said that Industries at large nowadays are committed to appropriate waste disposal without impacting the environment. Over and above, they focus on how the waste can be converted to wealth and are seeing this as a new business opportunity. He disclosed that Mahindra was striving for the same as a group and was committed to ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ and ‘Waste to Wealth’ practices to reduce the impact of waste in the community.
Shikhar Jain, Principal Counsellor, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, said that Waste is a global issue; if it is not properly dealt with it poses a threat to public health and the environment. Waste disposal is a growing issue linked directly to the way society produces and consumes. It concerns everyone. Waste management is one of the essential utility services underpinning society in the 21st Century, particularly in urban areas. Later during the day, Jain emphasised on the effective implementation of the Water Act, 1974, Air Act, 1981, Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Waste Management Rules notified therein, an online system for monitoring of emission/effluent, revised CEPI score and CREP.
Divya Aggarwal, Counsellor, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, said that larger Industries these days are committed towards waste generated by them and are very cautious towards their disposal. Industry recognises taking into account the environmental impact of its operations as well as the health and safety of the workers and community in which it operate. She shared insights on strengthening of waste management in companies and corporate responsibilities towards environmental protection.
The Training Programme was attended by over 35 representatives from 15 companies.