Ujire gram panchayat to produce foot mats, interlock tiles from plastic waste
Ujire, Dec 20: "Ujire Janya", an organic manure produced from wet waste collected from nearly 6,000 houses in Ujire gram panchayat, which has a population of 18,000 in Karnataka, is likely to hit the market soon, said Ujire gram panchayat (GP) Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Prakash Shetty.
Besides this, the GP is also planning to set up a plastic recycle plant which would produce foot mats and interlock tiles which could be used at garages, Shetty said.
Ujire Gram Panchayat is part of Belthangadi taluk in Dakshin Kannada district and a town near Dharmasthala, which is at the banks of the river Nethravathi. Ujire is an important junction for travellers in this region as it connects to another temple town Hornadu situated at the banks of river Bhadra in Chaikkamagaluru district.
The road at Ujire deviates to Dharmasthala (towards Hassan, Bengaluru), Kottigehara (towards Horanadu, Chikkamagaluru) and Belthangady (towards Mangaluru), hence it is strategically situated and challenges of segregating waste at source is potentially high due to large number of tourists incoming and returning, the PDO claimed.
This GP is also turning out to be an education hub in recent times and is 310 km from the tech hub in the southern state.
Shetty disclosed that Ujire produces nearly 1.5 tonne of garbage a day and it was the biggest challenge to convince people to segregate their waste at the source. "We are able to produce anywhere between 25 to 30 quintal of manure at a gap of every six to eight weeks," he said.
They launched the programme - "My Waste, My Responsibility" - nearly a year ago asking people to cooperate in segregating waste at the source, the PDO added.
"Within months we were able to convince the people and started producing "Ujire Janya" manure, which is yet to be registered as our brand and sold 25 quintal of manure in the last six months," he said.
The GP has a stock of nearly 50 quintal, for which a fertiliser company has come forward to lift it by paying Rs four per kg but the GP is still negotiating with them for a higher price, he added.
According to him, he had negotiated with several entrepreneurs wanting to set up plastic recycling plants in Ujire. "We have not yet finalised anything as the talks are in a very early stage. One of the entrepreneurs has come forward to produce foot mats and interlocking tiles using waste plastic. Therefore, we have not announced the plastic recycle plant yet," he said.
The proposed brand - "Ujire Janya" - is derived from the town name as well as the famous Janardhana temple situated in the heart of the town, Shetty added.
Disclosing about the challenges faced, Shetty said, he convinced people who came to meet him related to the work and told them about the benefits of waste segregation.
Apart from this, Dharmasthala Dhramadhikari Veerendra Heggade, whose charitable trusts runs several educational institutions in and around Ujire and Dharmashtala, should set up their own manure plants. As a result, waste segregation at the source has succeeded, Shetty opined.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Priyanka Gandhi urges Nitin Gadkari to expedite road projects in Kerala's Wayanad
Wayanad/New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said she met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking his intervention to expedite pending road infrastructure works in her constituency, including those aimed at addressing landslide issues at the Thamarassery pass.
Sharing photographs of the meeting on the social media platform 'X', Priyanka said Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, heard her concerns and sought updates from the relevant officials.
In her post, she expressed hope that the pressing issues she raised, which directly affect public safety and daily life, would receive the attention and urgency they deserve.
“Met respected Gadkari to raise issues concerning my constituency, Wayanad, and urged that pending works be expedited without further delay. He was kind enough to hear my concerns and get updates from the relevant officers,” she said.
ALSO READ: PM, Union ministers, Priyanka Gandhi, others meet Speaker Birla after Lok Sabha adjourned sine die
“I sincerely hope these pressing issues, which directly affect people’s safety and daily lives, will receive the attention and urgency they deserve,” she added.
A day earlier, Priyanka had sought an appointment with Gadkari in Parliament, saying she had been seeking an opportunity since June to discuss issues related to her constituency.
Responding to her request, the minister had said his doors were always open and that she could meet him at any time.
She subsequently met him at his office later the same day.
Met respected Shri @nitin_gadkari to raise issues concerning my constituency, Wayanad, and urged that pending works be expedited without further delay.
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 19, 2025
He was kind enough to hear my concerns and get an update from the relevant officers.
I sincerely hope these pressing issues… pic.twitter.com/UkxnXP6gxn
