PUNE: A deputation of 17 members from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos PDR) are in Pune on a four-day visit to study solid waste management in the city.
The deputation was welcomed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday.
It deputation is headed by Bounchanh Keosithamma, Director General of the Vientiane City Office for Management and Service (VCOMS), an organisation that functions similar to that of PMC, in Vientiane, the capital and largest city of Laos.
Several representatives of different departments of VCOMS -- sewage treatment, public parks, public spaces, street lighting and other city heads are part of the deputation.
“After watching a presentation by the deputation, I realised that no matter which country or city, the fundamental needs of people remain the same,” PMC Solid Waste Management Department Head Dnyaneshwar Molak said.
The deputation will be studying the SWaCH-PMC model that involves waste pickers and user fee system and decentralised waste management.
They will be visiting projects in the city to study how they can be implemented in their cities.
“They visited SWaCH doorstep collection system in Dhankawadi, SWaCH Slum collection system in Aundh, Microbiogas operated by waste pickers at Suparna Mangal Karyalay, Parvati Payatha, in-situ composting by SWaCH waste pickers in Dhankawadi, co-operative scrap shop run by waste pickers in Katraj, PMC Material Recovery Facility in Katraj, Biogas Plant at Taljai, V-Collect Centre for Reuse in Aundh and Red Dot Campaign in Aundh. They will also visit the biomining and centralised composting centre in Hadapsar,” Harshad Barde of SWaCH said.
