Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Jan: The Dehradun Municipal Corporation today launched an innovative initiative to strengthen plastic waste management and promote environmental conservation with the installation of an automated plastic bottle crushing machine outside the Municipal Corporation premises. The initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with Mansa Facilities Private Limited, marks a significant step towards tackling the growing challenge of plastic waste in urban areas.
Doon Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal and Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal jointly inaugurated the machine which has been installed just outside the Nigam campus here.
Addressing the gathering on this occasion, Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal stressed that waste generated from discarded plastic bottles has emerged as a major concern for urban sanitation as well as for the environment. She shared that in order to address this issue in a systematic manner, the Municipal Corporation has decided to install around 50 automated plastic bottle crushing machines at prominent public locations across Dehradun in a phased manner. These machines are designed to instantly crush used plastic bottles, substantially reducing their volume and thereby easing their collection, transportation and scientific disposal. She stated that the locations have already been identified, and based on the feedback received from this machine, similar machines will be installed at all the designated locations. She also mentioned that the machine is being operated through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal said that this initiative will promote a plastic-free Uttarakhand. With the help of this automatic plastic bottle crushing machine, the municipal corporation will make the city free from single-use plastics. Thapliyal stated that the machines would gradually be installed at the markets, at the major crossings, at educational institutions, the bus stands, the parks and other high-footfall areas of the city to ensure effective plastic waste management at the point of generation itself. Reiterating commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection, Thapliyal said the Corporation would continue to adopt technology-driven and innovative interventions to make the city cleaner, healthier and plastic-free.
The initiative is expected to discourage the practice of littering plastic bottles in public places and motivate citizens to adopt more responsible behaviour towards cleanliness and environmental protection. The move is also aimed at further strengthen the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) by promoting waste management at the source through the use of modern technology.
On this occasion, Additional Municipal Commissioner Praveen Kumar, Chief Municipal Health Officer Dr Avinash Khanna, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Rajveer Singh Chauhan and several sanitation inspectors were also present.
