Mandya: Mandya zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini has directed officials to operationalise all approved plastic waste management (PWM) units in the district by June-end under phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).Units costing Rs16 lakh each are being set up in Chinakurali (Pandavapura), Hulikere (Nagamangala), Chowdenahalli (KR Pet) and Mahadevapura (Srirangapatna).Plastic waste from solid waste management complexes will be transported to taluk-level units for processing.The initiative promotes the ‘Waste to Wealth’ concept.Women from self-help groups will be engaged in operations, and processed plastic waste will be sold to cement manufacturing industries.At a review meeting, Nandini directed CESC engineers to provide electricity connections without delay and asked taluk panchayat officials to ensure units are fully functional within the deadline. Officials said plastic waste from Mandya, Maddur, and Malavalli will be processed at the MRF in Hosahalli village, under Kadalur gram panchayat in Maddur taluk.Separately, Nandini directed health officials to intensify efforts to reduce infant mortality by strengthening preventive care and improving awareness.She stressed scientific analysis of infant deaths to identify root causes and frame an action plan.She called for attention to thiamine deficiency and flagged risks associated with excessively polished rice, urging the promotion of nutritious diets. District health officer Dr Mohan Kumar and MIMS superintendent Dr Shivakumar were present.
