Dutch firm to study ways to make Himachal waste-free

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government Monday signed here an agreement with Dutch company Nexus Novus to know the ways to make the hill state waste-free.

Urban development department director J.M. Pathania signed the agreement for a feasibility study on waste management in the state on behalf of the government. Nexus Novus was represented by its managing director Rutger De Brujin.

The feasibility study will cost 51,565 Euro (about Rs.40 lakh) and the entire cost will be borne by Nexus Novus, an official statement said.

The state will provide all field assistance to the company for the study which will be completed within six months. The study will cover three clusters, Dharamsala-Kangra, Shimla-Solan and Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Sundernagar.

"This agreement is a result of the mutual technical cooperation meeting between Netherlands Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma held in Shimla in June," it said.

During the meeting, the problems being faced in municipal waste management in the state were discussed and keeping in view the expertise of the Netherlands in the field of waste management, the Dutch side was requested to assist the state in this field by providing technological and management solutions to the problem.

The state has sought technical know-how in solid waste management, urban and regional planning, city development plan, water management, sewerage, transport management, saving of energy and capacity building for all urban local bodies.