London: Oceans which are a rich source of uranium may soon hold the future of nuclear power as scientists are developing a cost-effective way to extract the precious metal from the waterbodies thro

Vellore Collector Ajay Yadav on Wednesday laid the foundation for the Rs.45-lakh `Electricity Generation from Bio-Wastes’ project in Arcot Municipality, which he said was a pilot project for municipalities throughout Tamil Nadu, aimed at keeping the towns totally garbage-free.

Mr. Yadav sought the cooperation of the public in the successful implementation of the project, especially in the daily collection of bio-degradable vegetable wastes from houses, marriage halls and hotels.

District Judge K. P. Jyothindranath who inspected Lalur, the Thrissur Corporation’s waste disposal site, recently has submitted his report to the High Court.

He inspected Lalur under a directive of the High Court that the district judge should review waste treatment in the site every six months. The report suggested that decentralised waste treatment plants should be set up at the earliest. “The processing units for plastic materials and bio-degradable wastes should be established in a large scale. Waste management systems for residents, apartments, hotels, markets and educational institutions should be promoted,” the report said.

Kerala Sanitation Mission to provide technical support

In a boost to the anti-litter campaign of the City Corporation, over 1,200 households coming under 12 residents’ associations in and around West Hill here have drawn up a plan to set up their own biodegradable-waste-treatment units. The Kerala Sanitation Mission will team up with the members of these residents’ associations and extend technical support to them.

‘45 projects at an estimated cost of Rs 2086 crore approved under JnNURM in country’

Union Minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy said an integrated solid waste management project at an estimated cost of Rs 29.85 crore has been approved by his ministry under the UIG component of JnNURM. He was speaking at the inauguration of third international conference on solid waste management ICONSWM-2012 at the N R Narayana Murthy Centre of Excellence here on Monday.

The pipe composting method of treating waste set up by students of Chettikulangara High School in the district has caught the attention of chairpersons of three municipalities, who are now on the path to implementing it in their areas.

Ambili Suresh, chairperson of the Kayamkulam municipality who visited the school to see the model for herself, said that the municipality had decided to implement it in houses in the area. “Since many of the houses are located in four cents or even less, biogas plants cannot be set up. Hence, models such as pipe composting are beneficial to them. We will submit a proposal to the District Suchitwa Mission soon in this regard,” she said.

India is now among the top 10 countries generating the highest amount of municipal solid waste due to growing urbanisation and high consumption, says a new report by Worldwatch Institute.

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority is likely to commission 50 per cent of the solid waste segregation project for the city soon.

PANJIM: Environment Minister Alina Saldanha on Friday told state legislative assembly that state will initiate phase wise eradication of plastic over next three years.

The Minister said that the intentions of the government are ‘to phase out the domestic plastic waste in a phased manner over next three years’. She also said that necessary awareness amongst the people would be created educating them to reduce the use of plastic, in their day-to-day life.