The Hindu 17.07.2018
Corpn to upgrade biogas plants in city
A few years ago, the city Corporation set up biogas plants in
different parts of the city as part of its various initiatives for
decentralised waste management.
However, most of them fell into
disuse before long, owing to issues ranging from tiffs with the agencies
running the plants to technical problems, which turned many of the
biogas plants, like the one in Palayam market, to a dumping yard for
waste.
Now, the local body is planning to upgrade most of these
plants and set up new ones as part of a bigger push towards
decentralised waste management. The plan for upgrading biogas plants was
part of the Corporation’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for solid waste
management, which the State-level Empowered Committee (SLEC) rejected
last week.
The Corporation is now planning to resubmit the same
DPR, after Tourism Minister Kadakmpally Surendran as well as Mayor V.K.
Prashanth came out strongly against the committee’s decision to reject
the DPR. “Most of our existing biogas plants are down and out,
especially the ones in Palayam market, Sreekandeswaram and Peroorkada.
The ones in Sreekaryam and Manacaud are working. There is an urgent need
to upgrade the technology.
Major issues
The current
ones have major issues, especially when heterogeneous waste is fed to
it. We are planning a shift to dry anaerobic technology, which does not
need additional water to process. It also enables live monitoring of the
plant,” said an official in the Corporation’s health wing.
In
addition to upgrading the existing plants, there are also plans to set
up new biogas plants in Kazhakoottam, Chanthavila, Kattayikkonam,
Nettayam, Thirumala, Poojappura, Punnakkamugal, Vettukad, Kadakampally
and Pettah. Batches of aerobic bins will be set up in all the 100 wards.
A plastic waste recycling plant is also planned.
The DPR proposes
decentralised waste management projects to the tune of Rs. 52 crore.
The unexpected rejection of the report by the SLEC came as a huge blow
to the local body. “It won’t be easy to set up centralised waste
management plants like the one in Vilappilsala within the district
limits. Wherever the final location will be, local opposition could be
expected. We are not against centralised waste management. The State
needs to support the Corporation’s decentralised waste management
initiatives. We have identified locations for the new biogas plants and
aerobic bins,” the Corporation official said.