"Will process 100 pc waste produced in next 2-3 years": Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi [India], January 11 : Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday applauded the 8th Swachh Survekshan Awards ceremony and said that in the next two to three years, they will process 100 per cent of the waste produced.
The 8th Swachh Survekshan Awards ceremony was held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital on Thursday.
The Union Minister said, "With a very modest beginning in 2016, today 447 cities and urban local bodies participate in the Swachh Survekshan. In this 8th edition, we received feedback from 12 crore people."
Highlighting the increased waste production in the last few years, Puri said, "Cleanliness has become a social revolution and the impact can be seen everywhere. Waste processing has increased from 15-16 per cent in 2014 to 76 percent in 2023. In the next 2-3 years, we will process 100 per cent waste produced."
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards at a function organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the Swachh Survekshan conducted with wide participation is an important step towards raising the level of cleanliness.
She appreciated all for moving forward on the path of 'Cleanliness to Prosperity'.
The President said that our Safari Mitras have been the frontline soldiers of our cleanliness campaign. She also noted that effective steps are being taken to ensure the safety, dignity and welfare of Safai Mitras.
"Only by eliminating manholes through mechanised cleaning and achieving the goal of sanitation through machine-holes will we be able to establish our true identity as a sensitive society," the President said.
The President was happy to note that emphasis is being laid on circularity in waste management in the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
"The circular economy's methods of recycling and reusing more and more goods are proving helpful for sustainable development. Such a system will prove to be very useful in the field of waste management," she added.
The President said that if we deeply consider the concept of value from waste, it becomes clear that everything is valuable and nothing is waste, adding, "this holistic and progressive thinking works behind making biogas from green waste and generating electricity from refuse-derived fuel."
She added that about one-third of our population lives in urban areas. The cleanliness of cities and towns is essential for their health and development. She noted that a huge amount of urban land is buried under mountains of garbage.
"Youth are our most important stakeholders. If the young generation decides to keep all the cities and the entire country clean, then India of 2047 will certainly celebrate its centenary of independence by being included among the cleanest countries in the world," President Droupadi Murmu said.
She urged all the youth of the country to move forward with the big goal of making India the cleanest country in the world.