Indian Express 06.10.2010
Govt considers new site for solid waste disposal project
Lalmani Verma Tags : Mohan Road, Construction and Design Services , C&DS Posted: Wed Oct 06 2010, 05:56 hrs
Lucknow: Facing resistance to its plan to set up a solid waste management project at Dashehari village, which is the origin of the famous Dashehari mango, the state government has started looking for an alternative site. One of the sites being considered for the project is 35-acre land in Eintgaon area on Mohan Road.The officials, however, said they have not yet decided to drop Dashehari site.
“The land on Mohan Road is an alternative site, but a final decision is yet to be taken. As of now, the project remains in Dashehari village,” said R K Gaur, technical adviser, Construction and Design Services (C&DS), UP Jal Nigam, which is the nodal agency for the project.
The project was proposed to come up on 88-acre land in Dashehari village on Hardoi Road. But it involved cutting of 2,036 trees and faced opposition. Besides, there were fears that the site will affect the orchards in the area which also include the oldest known mother-tree of Dashehari.
The Jal Nigam revised the layout of the project twice in July to save the trees, including the Dashehari mother tree. However, the revised plan is yet to get environmental clearance.
Sources said that in a recent meeting, the State Advisory Council had directed the district administration to look for an alternative site. The officials of Jal Nigam and Lucknow Municipal Corporation have already conducted a survey and suggested Eintgaon site as a possible alternative, but the land there is inadequate for the project.
“Only 35-acre land is available on Mohan Road. If the project is shifted here, the landfill site will be smaller and it may be sufficient for only 10 to 15 years,” Gaur said. In the original plan, the landfill site was to be developed on 64-acre land and had a capacity of dumping waste for 25 years.
Around 1,300 tonne solid waste is generated daily in Lucknow. Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Rs 42.92 crore was sanctioned for this project in March 2007.
The state government has made a commitment to the Government of India to complete the project by March 2011. The project was awarded to Jyoti Enviro-Tech Private Limited for door-to-door collection of solid waste, its processing and disposal at landfill site.
