Waste
Management & Recycling Industry Needs Enhanced Governmental
Support & MSME Status: WASME Seminar
New
Delhi, November 5, 2011: WASME seminar on Business Opportunities
in Waste Management: Potentials and Challenges, concluded
with a call for greater recognition, supportive measures
in terms of tax exemptions, incentives, subsidized credit,
technical consultancy support and marketing assistance for
waste & recycling industry. The seminar observed that,
waste management and recycling services, including municipal
waste management sector, should be recognized as micro,
small and medium enterprises.
The
seminar held on 5th November 2011, at WASME’s conference
room at WASME international headquarter, in Noida, was attended
by 80 delegates from SMEs, government sector, NGOs, waste-workers
organizations and industry-trade associations.
In
his opening remarks, Secretary General of WASME , Mr. Gyan
Praksh Agarwal said that WASME considers, waste management
& recycling industry, as an economic development tool.
He said, “When collected with skill and care, and
upgraded with quality in mind, discarded materials are a
local resource, that can contribute to local revenue, job
creation & business expansion. What we often abandon
as garbage, are potential inputs for some other products,
he added.
The
seminar was inaugurated by Dr. P. M Mathew, Director, Institute
of Small Enterprise Development (ISED) and member of High
Powered Committee, working within the Planning Commission,
on MSME sector, Government of India. Dr. Mathew highlighted
the importance of promoting waste management sector by the
governments. Keynote address was delivered by Prof. KR Chari,
Chief Proctor at Birla Institute of Management Technology
(BIMTECH) and Senior Scientist. In his keynote address Prof.
Chari, called for changing our mindset and “start
considering that, there is nothing called a waste, and that
any waste is actually a misplaced resource in a different
form. It’s only our ignorance of the probable use
of the material. Anything that we can’t use for a
productive purpose will become a waste. There is a need
to change our outlook.”
Her Excellency, Khadija Radman Ghanem, Ambassador of Yemen,
while speaking in the inaugural session, highlighted the
importance of beginning waste management process from the
school level itself. She said, in China and Korea, kids
are being taught, waste segregation process at source, from
the nursery level itself. Dr. Sunil Gulati also spoke on
the occasion.
The inaugural session was followed by technical sessions.
In the two technical sessions, fourteen experts made presentations
on waste management and recycling industry. Waste management
industry took active part in the seminar and made presentations
and given inputs to youth entrepreneurs and SMEs that came
forward to expand their business into waste management and
recycling sector.
Following experts from various organizations, governments,
Research Institutions made presentations: ; Dr. Dwaraka
Nath, Sr Scientific Officer, Delhi Government; Mr. Pradeep
Khandelwal, Delhi Municipality; Mr. Betne R, Toxics-link
; Prof. Dr. M.P Jakhnwal, Director, Noida Institute of Technology;
Mr. Rakesh Solanki, Director, Environmental Sciences Research
Foundation; Dr. Sunil Panday, TERI; Mr. John Philippose,
Environmental Architect, Ms. Tiffany Talsma , Waste Ventures;
Mr Shashi Bhushan Pandit, President of All India Kabadi
Mazdoor Mahasangh; Mr. M. Thapar, CEO, Eco-Wise Waste; Mr.
Dheeraj Agarwal, IIT, Rourkee; Mr. Richard Frege, Second
Counselor, Namibian High Commission and Mr. Rajat Batra,
CEO, STENUM. Mr. V N Prasad, Consultant Senior Economic
Advisor of WASME moderated the discussions. Dr. P. Koshy
introduced the topic of the seminar and Mr. Sidhartha Mishra,
Executive Secretary, also spoke on the occasion.
The seminar was sponsored by Radius Synergies Pvt. Ltd and
CA Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society Ltd.
Download
Secretary General’s Statement
For
more details: Contact Dr. P. Koshy, Senior Economist
WASME, 91-9953871432, Koshy.wasme@gmail.com
