Aafrin Kidwai 
Karnataka’s Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Mr K S Eshwarappa has said that the government planned to build 50 solid waste management facilities this year to dispose of and process dry trash collected in villages across Karnataka.
Mr Eshwarappa was speaking at the inauguration of the first Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Nitte Gram Panchayat, Karkala Taluk, Udupi District with 10TPD capacity.
Eshwarappa said he had directed all the CEOs of the Zilla Panchayats to visit Nitte’s first integrated solid waste management facility to study how it works and install it in their own ZPs. He also stated that the waste management unit’s operation would be demonstrated to rural development ministers from all states at a meeting to be convened in New Delhi so that the Centre could provide financial assistance for the establishment of similar integrated waste management units.
The Nitte MRF is being operated by Mangala Resource Management Private Limited andhas been set up with Saahas Zero Waste as the technical and knowledge partner. According to SZW:
1. The facility manages dry waste from 43 nearby villages and employs 30+ staff.
2. In the last 8 months, the MRF has received 605 Tonnes of waste. The inward waste gradually increased from 1 ton per day to 5 tonnes per day. 35% is low grade plastic waste & MLP’s
3. EPR support has played a major role in dispatching MLP’s to authorised end destinations.
4. Revenue from sale of waste and a service fee is expected to bring commercial viability to the operations at the MRF facility.
According to the Daijiworld.com, the government will shortly provide a Rs 50 lakh grant for the establishment of a thermocol waste management unit in Udupi.
