Lalitpur, June 4:

Women’s participation in solid waste management will help in creating awareness about solid waste management, speakers said today.

Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day solid waste management expo, Minister for Local Development, Rajendra Pandey, said: “Awareness programmes and trainings on solid waste management especially for women help to bring multiplier effects to reduce solid wastages.” He added that as women are in-charge of households, they can effectively reuse organic wastages of households as manure through the methods of recycling.

The expo jointly organised by Lalitpur sub Metropolitan City and Environment Camps for Conservation at Jawalakhel, has stalls displaying the methods of reusing, recycling and remaking plastic, paper and organic products.

“As part of making the awareness programme extensive, Community Development Section of LMC has trained 45 Women’s group associated with LMC to separate plastic products and polythene bags from the waste produced in households,” said Sabina Maharjan of LMC. She added that LMC successively collects 150 kg of plastic from 22 wards every month and has also given training to six women’s group to make manure by composting the organic waste products.

Surya Man Shakya, a solid waste management expert, said: “The waste management programmes carried out at the household level of Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu is very impressive.” He added that these programmes can be replicated in all the 58 municipalities of the country; it will manage 60 per cent of the solid wastage and will also reduce transportation expenses.