Need to solve Delhi’s garbage crisis: Hardeep Puri

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Raising concern over Delhi's garbage crisis and oversaturated landfill sites, Union Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday announced "Neighborhood Action Plan" that aims to fixing the garbage prior to it being sent to the dumping grounds.

The Minister said this plan will be launched in all the cities and towns across the country on October 2, and appealed to the residents of Delhi to take the lead in making a success of it so that their "pride is not punctured".

"Country can't be made clean without fixing Delhi's garbage crisis," Puri said.

Neighbourhood Action Plan aims at substantial reduction in the quantum of solid waste sent to landfill by besides enabling better performance of waste-to-compost and waste-to-energy plants.

"Neighborhood could be a residential housing society, a colony, mohalla, market area," said the minister, adding that the Central government has accorded sanitation higher priority over even economic transformation, given its importance in several ways.

Puri acknowledged that solid waste management in cities is the major challenges in urban areas.

The Minister, who was participating in a cleanliness drive here also unveiled 'My Home-My Neighborhood' campaign that focuses on segregation of waste at source and converting it into compost within the neighbourhood. The plan also focuses on recycling of dry waste by adopting a near by park or open place for collection and waste segregation.