Bhubaneswar: A three-month certificate course on “Sanitation Value Chain in Urban Odisha” for TULIP interns commenced in Bhubaneswar with an aim to enhance their employability.
The first training module on Solid Waste Management (SWM) by Odisha Water Academy in partnership with Urban Management Centre (UMC) was inaugurated on Wednesday by Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development department G Mathi Vathanan.
Speaking on the occasion, Mathi Vathanan said the programme has been designed to provide the TULIP Interns unique learning opportunity and real world hands-on learning in Municipal Solid Waste Management during the 3 months Certification Course.
Emphasising on the role of trained youth to drive changes in converting waste into wealth, he said the Interns who will exhibit strong aptitude, commitment and put in sustained efforts during the internship programme will be retained as sanitation professionals.
The programme aims to impart domain knowledge, practical experience in urban sanitation, which will improve the professional competence and employability of the interns, Mathi Vathanan said.
This is the first batch of TULIP Interns who will be trained, groomed and mentored to be equipped with knowledge, skill, tool kit and social skills to handle the nuances, issues and challenges in urban sanitation landscape, an official release said.
The programme will create a cadre of 500 trained sanitation professionals across 115 ULBs of the State, who will work as sanitation experts to ensure effective management of solid and liquid waste in urban areas.
A tripartite MoU between H&UD department, Odisha Water Academy and Urban Management Centre was also signed in presence of Mathi Vathanan which will provide technical support for designing the pedagogy, training modules and capacity building of TULIP interns.
After successfully on boarding women SHGs, transgenders in water and sanitation, building the capacities of young fresh graduates/post graduates is an attempt to mainstream into urban sanitation.
Among others Special Secretary Kalyan kumar Ratha, Director Water Academy Dr Santanu Ratha, Director UMC Ahmedabad Manvita and Head Urban Planning UMC Xerxes Rao were present.
