Waste disposal master plan being prepared for Pune: Javadekar

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday said a master plan for waste disposal will be prepared

for Pune which would benefit more than 300 localities. Javadekar was here to review the progress of Pune

Metro Rail project, Mula Mutha River Rejuvenation project and the implementation of mid-day meal scheme in Pune district at

the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA).

Speaking on the progress of the mid-day meal scheme, he said provision of supplementary foods to lactating mothers

had resulted in reduction of malnourished and under-nourished children by more than half in a short span of three years.

He said this was a significant achievement and informed that children who were part of the mid-day meal

scheme have registered height and weight improvements. This is a sound investment for the future of the

nation, Javadekar said. The minister said the Mula Mutha river cleaning work

was going to be expedited and meetings at the Central and state levels have been planned for this.

He reiterated the loan given by Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) for Mula Mutha river cleaning work

will be repaid by the Centre and not the state government or the Pune civic body.

Observing that discharge of sewage is a major cause of river pollution in the country, he said sewage treatment

plants were being set up to clean Mula Mutha and other rivers. Speaking about the metro rail in the city, Javadekar

said the 12-km long first and second phases of the Pune Metro Rail project will be completed by March 2020, while foundation

stone for the Hinjawadi Line will be laid by next month. In reply to a question, the minister of Environment,

Forest and Climate Change said pollution in Delhi had come down significantly.

"We spent 17,000 crore rupees on Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Western Peripheral Expressway, which have

provided alternative route to around 60,000 vehicles, which earlier used to move through Delhi," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)