Smart leadership with clarity, vision and courage is needed for transforming cities in the country into Smart Cities, Union Minister for Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday.
Participating in an international symposium on Municipal Solid Waste Management organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here, Mr. Naidu said that the local bodies should look at raising their revenues without squeezing the citizens in the name of taxes.
Those at the helm of affairs at the local bodies should take the lead in ushering in changes. “An ideal municipal commissioner is one who hits the roads in the morning to monitor works and the same applies for deputy commissioners and others,” he suggested.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen on involvement of citizens in Swachh Bharat campaign and the drive was turning into a people’s movement, he said. “Cleanliness and hygiene should become part of our lives and it is encouraging to see the involvement of all,” he said.
Appropriate handling of municipal solid waste was a key component of Swachh Bharat mission and the need was to identify and adopt sustainable practises. Mr. Naidu said that proposals on waste to compost and waste to energy were being worked out and the Union Government was even contemplating proposals on recycling of construction debris.
In his address, former Special Chief Secretary S. Chakravarthy said that Indian cities generate 42 million metric tonnes of solid waste every day with per capita generation ranging between 0.2 to 0.6 kg per day. “Solid waste can be reused, reduced and recycled and converted into energy fuel,” he said, while stressing on the need for a uniform state / national policy on solid waste management.
Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration Janardhan Reddy, Managing Director Hitachi Zosen India Hideaki Horiuchi and others participated in the symposium.
