TIMES NEWS NETWORKMangaluru: All local bodies must formulate and adhere to a time-bound action plan to strictly implement Solid Waste Management rules. Deputy commissioner Darshan HV directed them to take measures to achieve 100% target by prioritising door-to-door garbage collection and waste segregation at the source.He presided over the district-level monitoring committee meeting held on Tuesday at the DC’s office. The meeting was aimed at reviewing the progress of the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules-2026 and ensuring more effective enforcement of waste management in urban and rural local bodies across the district.Local bodies should organise continuous awareness programmes to educate the public about waste segregation and cleanliness. Discussions were held regarding identifying and developing necessary land for solid waste processing units in urban areas and systematically managing information regarding bulk waste generators.Instructions were given to relevant officials to review the measures taken for the scientific management and disposal of legacy waste collected in various local bodies of the district and to expedite the disposal of any remaining legacy waste.Zilla panchayat CEO Narwade Vinayak Karbhari instructed that the Solid Waste Management Rules-2026 be implemented strictly and effectively in gram panchayats. He directed that, along with taking necessary measures to prevent the dumping of garbage in public places within their jurisdiction, gram panchayats should conduct continuous awareness programmes for the public on cleanliness and waste segregation.Santhosh Kumar, project director, District Urban Development Cell (UDC), provided detailed information on the steps local bodies should take to further strengthen the solid waste management system.During the meeting, the environmental officer of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board communicated that local bodies must obtain the required consent letters from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board in accordance with the Water Act, the Air Act, and the Solid Waste Management Rules-2026. Posters creating awareness about the four types of solid waste segregation were also released during the meeting.
