JODHPUR, Sept. 8 -- As voters prepare for the upcoming civic elections across 309 urban bodies, waste management has emerged a key focus across campaigns A recent status report by the local self-government department showed that out of 471 solid waste processing plants listed across the state, only 175 were operational, while 202 are still under construction. The 175 operational plants have a combined processing capacity of 5,098.32 tonnes per day (TPD), showed the data. However, accounting for all listed facilities would indicate a planned processing capacity of 11,112.51 TPD. The report also highlights shortcomings in segregation at source facilities. Across the state's urban local bodies, the average source-level segregation of waste is only 41%, while the average coverage of door-to-door waste collection is 82%. Another major gap concerns scientific disposal. The department said that 36 regional scientific landfill sites are proposed across Rajasthan and that the tendering process for these sites is under way. According to the report, during the previous three financial years, the Centre sanctioned Rs.562.28 crore, of which Rs.119.54 crore had been spent. The state government sanctioned Rs.527.65 crore, against expenditure of Rs.79.70 crore, while urban local bodies sanctioned Rs.911.26 crore and spent Rs.82.21 crore. BJP candidate Ravindra Singh Mamdoli from Ward No. 7 of Jodhpur Municipal Corporation said the state government was committed to ensuring better waste management in urban local bodies, including Jodhpur. Congress organisational general secretary Kush Gehlot, however, said that Jodhpur was still lacking as far as cleanliness and proper waste management facilities were concerned....