The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), Odisha, organised a conference on "Plastic Waste Management-Environmental Concern and Entrepreneurship Development" on Saturday here.
Additional Chief Secretary, MSME lN Gupta focussed on reduction, recycling and re-usage of plastic waste in the state. He further urged the organisers to evolve 50 new entrepreneurs to manage plastic wastes.
The MSME Department would be ready to support new start-ups by providing space and contributing financial incentives up to Rs 20,000 per month and up to Rs 15 lakh per year towards the development of the product. He also mentioned that out of 92 start-ups in the State, there is hardly any start-up working on waste management. He stated that the existing industries in plastic can also avail the infrastructure facilities available at the Paradip Plastic Park encompassing an area of 120 acres with an overall investment of Rs 100 crore. The Municipal Corporation of the twin-city of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack should form a plastic waste management company to address the serious issue professionally and systematically, he stated.
Additional Chief Secretary, Forest ad Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra mentioned that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is planning to address the plastic waste management issues by putting up a shredding unit at Bhubaneswar. The Bhubaneswar Environment Management Fund (BEMF) to contribute for the machineries to be used for the same, he stated.
Nalini Kanta Pradhan, Engineer In Charge-cum-Secretary, Works, gave an overview on the plans of the State Government for the usage of plastic wastes in the construction of roads. This would save 8 per cent bitumen in the road construction resulting in the consumption of 100-200 tons plastic waste in the near future.
Environment Scientist, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Dr D K Behera took the delegates through the various usage of plastic in daily life, mostly for packaging.
Among others, CII State Council and Vice President (Project Gopalpur) Tata Steel limited Vice Chairman Arun Mishra spoke.