Reiterating the commitment of the Andhra Pradesh government to recycling of non-bio degradable waste, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the pilot project of manufacturing value-added material from garbage by utilising eco-friendly methods should be linked to the ‘Jagananna Swachaa Sankalpam’ , which aims at making all the gram panchayats litter-free.
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Participating in a meeting with the representatives of Global Alliance for Sustainable Planet (GASP) on Tuesday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said making all the beaches in the State clean was another priority of his government.
“Plastic waste being should be collected and recycled. The State has a clear mechanism in place for collection of garbage. The government is looking into ways for recycling of non-biodegredable material and the experience of GASP can be be used in this regard,” he said.
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Noted international designer and Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, who is also a representative of the GASP, gave a presentation to the Chief Minister on collection and recycling of plastic waste.
Expressing concern over ocean pollution, he said the plastic should be collected from oceans and recycled. He advocated for eco-friendly policies in this regard. “Only 9% of 150 million tonne single-use plastic product are being recycled, while handling the rest is a cause for concern. Turning plastic waste into value-added products using eco-friendly methods will pave the way for a new economy,” he said.
He explained to the Chief Minister the process of preparation of building construction material, furniture, clothes, shoes and other value-added products from plastic waste by the Parley company, a subsidiary of the GASP.
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Eco-tourism
The representatives of GASP have briefed the Chief Minister about the eco- tourism project in Uttarakhand, adding that Araku, Ananthagiri and Rampachodavaram have big scope for eco-tourism. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to prepare plans in this regard.
Natural farming
Referring to the agriculture sector, the Chief Minister said that the government had set up 10,777 Rytu Bharosa Kendras ( RBKs) with a kiosk each in the State. “Agriculture and Horticulture Assistants are working from there. Seeds and fertilizers are being supplied through RBKs after their quality is certified. The crop details are being recorded through e-cropping. Every crop is being geo-tagged so that the government subsidies can reach the beneficiary easily, so does the compensation for crop loss. More importantly, plans are afoot to make RBKs centres for natural farming,” said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
He said that there was a need to strengthen RBKs and encourage hiring centres for natural farming. “Natural farming methods should not be confined to laboratories. Those should reach the farmers. There is need to fix remunerative prices for produces of natural farming and those should be certified. The government is considering introduction of a graduation course in natural farming and setting up a university.
Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Chief Minister’s Special Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Special Chief Secretary Y. Sri Lakshmi, Food Processing Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena, Tribal Welfare Secretary Kanthilal Dande, A.P. Markfed MD P.S. Pradyumna, GASP chairman Erik Solheim, secretary general Satya Tripati, eco-tourism investor Adithi Balbir, S4 Capital PLC director (operations) Poran Malani and other officials were present in the meeting.