The Times of India 27.08.2014
SMC to generate gas from dumping site
SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to rejuvenate a part of the 40 hectare of land that it uses as dumping site at Khajod. This piece of land has become infertile as 1,400 tonnes of all types of waste is being dumped there daily for the past 10 years.SMC has invited consultancy offers from private parties either to compost manure or generate gas from the waste by drilling the dumping site.
The SMC started dumping its waste at the landfill site at Khajod in 2002. About 4 lakh tonnes of waste was generated in just four days during the 2006 floods in the city.
"We used to dump the collected waste till 2012 by digging huge holes into the land. After 2012 we have begun throwing our waste into the landfill sites," said EAH Pathan, executive engineer, solid waste, SMC.
Dumping waste by digging holes into the ground is called cruel dumping. This method has turned the 40 hectare of land useless.
SMC plans to rejuvenate at least 25 hectare of land. "We plan to re-use this land and would like to generate either manure or gas from the waste there," Pathan said. There is plan to create a green belt too in some part of the landfill site.
So far, no local body in the country has attempted to rejuvenate its landfill sites. SMC would be the first one to do so whenever it launches this project, sources said.
"We have invited consultancy offers from private parties. We are hopeful of launching the project by the end of this financial year," a SMC official said.
