District Development Commissioner Rajouri, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh today convened a meeting with the proposed District Level Task Force regarding implementation of solid waste management rules and formulation of Environmental Management plan in the district.The meeting was attended by Chief planning Officer Shama-Un Ahmed, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sunderbani, Vinod Kumar Benhal, Additional Deputy Commissioner Nowshera Sukhdev Singh, SDM Thanamandi Tanveer Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner Revenue Mohd Ashraf, Assistant Commissioner Development Sushil khajuria, Chief Agriculture Officer Janak Raj, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer Mohd Younis, Divisional Forest Officer Rajouri/Nowshera, Chief Horticulture Officer and other concerned officers.While speaking during the meeting the DDC said that annual environmental plan aims at improving overall parameters of environment in the district including widespread measures to curb use of plastic/polythene, strategizing the disposal of solid waste and biomedical waste and mass awareness through community participation.
DDC said that the aim of the meeting is to develop a local Environment Management Plan for the district. The plans should be based on decentralized management with emphasis on pre-screening and its purpose is to maximize the pre-sorting of materials at source to improve recycling and minimization of the residue that will be available in Landfill.It was also informed in the meeting that the Forest Department has been nominated as the Nodal Department for the preparation and implementation of the Environmental Management Plans. He also directed the ADCs to find alternate places for disposal of the waste originating from the construction sites.He exhorted upon the officers to incorporate some innovative ideas in the environmental plans of their sectors. He directed the concerned officers to submit their detailed Plan pertaining to environment as per the guidelines of National Green Tribunal.