Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari emphasised that waste can be converted into wealth, while speaking during the 109th annual general meeting of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
PANAJI
Gadkari said, “We need to convert waste into wealth. I feel this can be an industry of more than Rs 5 lakh crore in India. Four years ago, I decided to sell sewage water of Nagpur to the Government of Maharashtra. Everyone asked how that was possible. We have been selling sewage water of Nagpur by recycling it to the Government of Maharashtra and getting Rs 18 crore every year.”
Gadkari gave several examples to impress upon this point. He continued, “I once visited an institute in Wardha. They were undertaking a small project. They presented to me bottles, which had amino acid made from hair. We used that in agriculture and realised there was 25% more growth due to that.”
Gadkari further said, “I conveyed this idea of making amino acid from hair to a friend of mine, who was professor of organic chemistry. We started purchasing hair from beauty-parlours and salons at Rs 50 a kg. This experiment worked out so wonderfully that we have to purchase five trucks of hair from Tirupati now to make amino acid.”
Gadkari also said that using relatively pollution-free fuel for transport is the need of hour for the country. He said, “In Nagpur, we have 200 electric taxis and electric buses.”
Talking to Sidharth Kuncalienker, EDC’s chairman, who was also on the dais, Gadkari said, “You should have electric buses in Goa. Don’t use petrol or diesel. This is very important from controlling pollution viewpoint.
