The Kashmir Times             09.10.2013

Finally green signal for JMC project on PPP basis   

JAMMU: After having remained in limbo for years, finally the much-hyped solid waste management project of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has finally moved an inch forward with the latter getting approval from the government to start it on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis.

According to JMC authorities, the project was for long held up as certain technical challenges made it difficult for the Jammu Municipal Corporation to start operations at the site identified for solid waste management in Kot Bhalwal.

But the first step toward disposing of solid wastes has finally been taken up with the JMC getting approval from the government to start the project on Public-Private Partnership basis last month.

Speaking on the issue, Joint Commissioner (administration) JMC Kapil Sharma said, “The JMC had sought government’s approval for undertaking the project on Public-Private Partnership basis. The government has given its sanction for developing the site for solid waste management purpose.” With the sanction in hand the next phase of the process will be to issue tenders.

“Since this is the first time in the entire state that such a project of disposing of solid waste on PPP model has been initiated, it will take some time for it to fructify,” said the joint commissioner.

Although the site for development of this facility had been identified in May this year (350 Kanals approximately) at Kot Bhalwal, the sanction from the government to develop the site on PPP basis came only a month back.

Now, the next phase will be to float tenders and obtain the best possible technology for the purpose.

Presently the garbage disposal operations (also known as landfill sites) are being carried out at Bhagwati Nagar. But with the development of this solid waste management site at Kot Bhalwal the more complex issue of solid waste disposal will be resolved. The quantity of solid waste has seen a gradual increase in the city of Jammu with burgeoning population.

It was way back in 2000 that the Ministry of Environment and Forest had issued Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000, under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 yet the progress on implementing them can best be described as tardy.

The lack of a proper solid waste disposal site leads to environmental hazards causing grave danger to public health. Under Rule 4 of Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules the competent authority is the Municipality of that particular area for the purpose of collection, storage, segregation, transportation, disposal and processing of solid wastes.