MC to appoint expert to assess plant's working
Monday, 02 August 2010 11:38
administrator
The Times of India 02.08.2010
MC to appoint expert to assess plant's working
Rajan Walia, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 04.09am IST
CHANDIGARH: To verify the claims of the management of Dadumajra-based garbage processing plant that their unit has been functioning well and processing entire garbage from within the city, the municipal corporation has decided to appoint a technical expert.
The corporation officials have found these contentions of the plant management in variance with their findings regarding functioning of the plant from time to time. Inquiries by TOI have revealed that on July 5, civic body officials received a letter from the plant management, Jai Parkash Associates, which stated, “The plant is now complete in itself and all machinery has been installed as per contractual documents. The plant is fully functional, operational and processing entire garbage of the city as per contractual documents, prescribed pollution norms, and the Municipal Solid Waste (management & handling) Rules, 2000.”
While admitting that they were going to engage a technical expert to verify claims of the plant management, MC’s medical officer of health (MoH), G Diwan, said, “As the municipal corporation has no expertise in the technology/ machinery of garbage processing plant. Hence, to verify the claim of fully functional plant i.e. technology/ installation of machinery/ functioning of the garbage processing plant, a technical expert in the field of functioning of such plants in India is required to be engaged who can also suggest future course of action.” The garbage processing plant in Dadumajra was commissioned under the build own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis in 2008. Under this arrangement, 10 acres was leased out to M/s Jai Prakash Associates Ltd. for setting up the plant at their own cost and also to operate the same for 30 years.
But ever since its inception, the plant has been mired in one controversy or the another. First, it ran into trouble when a number of councillors alleged that the plant management had not installed all relevant machineries there to make it fully functional. Then, the plant was criticized for burning carcasses, resulting in emanating of unbearable foul stench at all times. In a meeting called by the UT environment secretary on June 22 this year, which was attended by the plant management and MC officials, the plant management agreed to install all machinery and equipments within three months as suggested by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee.
The issue to appoint a technical expert to judge the claims of plant management is scheduled to be tabled and discussed for approval before the general house of civic body on Friday.
Bangalore may have high-tech garbage recycling plants
Monday, 02 August 2010 11:31
administrator
The Times of India 02.08.2010
Bangalore may have high-tech garbage recycling plants
Jayashree Nandi, TNN, Aug 2, 2010, 01.00am IST
BANGALORE: Your city could soon have high-tech garbage recycling plants. But you may have to pay a garbage cess.
Recycling plants, called waste convertors, will have two-tonne capacity. It will be set up on the lines of a solid waste recycling plant in Yelahanka. BBMP commissioner Siddaiah said, "These plants will only come up in areas where land can be acquired without much hassle and residents do not object."
He said: "It's best to prepare citizens about paying garbage cess. However, a decision has to be taken up by the council and cleared by the government.'' "We are recycling waste at two big plants near Hoskote and Doddaballapur. Now we plan to have at least two or three more,'' he claimed.
Experts say decentralized garbage management's success lies in its implementation. The Yelahanka garbage recycling unit is facing issues for being labour-intensive and generating high power bills. The plant officials have to pay Rs 40,000 per month as electricity bill. It needs at least 10 to 15 people to segregate one tonne of waste.
The Rs 1.74 crore-worth project can take a load of five tonnes but is facing problems as residents don't segregate waste before sending it to the plant. "Segregation has to be done at source, people have to co-operate with us, otherwise it will gradually become more labour-intensive," said Shivkumar C M, BBMP environmental engineer, Yelahanka.
Around 2,000 houses in Yelahanka are depending on this model. Since the plant is away from residential area, the stench doesn't bother them much. "There will be a little bit of stench around the plant but that can be managed if the process is maintained properly. We distributed green and yellow baskets so that residents segregate waste before handing it over to us. The garbage is collected in covered autos and transported to the plant,'' he said.
The plant generates manure and recycles plastic waste of around 250 to 260 kg. The organic manure is supplied to BBMP horticulture department and is used for various horticultural parks. The pellets from the recycled plastic are sold.
SEGREGATION IS KEY
Anil Derek, who was instrumental in developing the Malleswaram market organic waste-recycling unit, said a ward-wise recycling unit will have both advantages and disadvantages. These will be labour-intensive and maintenance costs can be high.
"The idea sounds romantic but where is the space to develop these and who will maintain them? We should start with one or two pilot projects where residents are enthusiastic and see how they are being maintained," he said.
According to former Karnataka Pollution Control Board chairman H C Sharathchandra, the law has a provision of levying a garbage management cess that can be used for maintenance of such plants. "If units in every ward are not maintained and waste is not segregated at source, then they will become dumpyards or breeding grounds for mosquitoes and strays,'' he said.
S N Balasumramanium, president, Garbage Contractors Association, said the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules are not followed. "Some groups segregate waste but almost all households don't know anything about segregation.''
RESIDENTSPEAK
According to N Mukund of Citizen Action Forum and Jayanagar 5th Block Residents Welfare Association, "It is a great proposal but the government should make garbage segregation at source mandatory. It won't be viable if people don't maintain these plants. I think they should start it in some wards first on a pilot basis to check how it works. The idea should be presented to all corporators in detail and see how they can maintain it," he said.
Residents such as Major Pramod Kumar of Koramangala Initiative are enthusiastic about the idea. "People don't know much about these plants. I have seen these plants and I know that they don't stink. It is only a matter of perception. These plants will be located closer to residential areas and the only problem I see is that the garbage collecting trucks are going to line up near the houses. These should be maintained regularly. We compost our waste regularly at home. Other residents can also try that and use the manure for gardens or at least segregate it before handing over," he said.
HOW IT'S DONE NOW
* City generates more than 5,000 tonnes of garbage every day
* Of this, 600 tonnes is handled by Mandur landfill site, 105 tonnes by Seemasandra landfill, 350 at Mavallipura dumpyard and 30 tonnes by Terra firm unit
* Nearly 4,000 tonnes of waste isn't managed and is dumped at several open spaces in the city
According to the latest study conducted by the department of environmental sciences, Bangalore University, the pollution in these landfills is way above tolerance levels.
The physico-chemical analysis of leachate (any liquid material that drains from land or stockpiled material) sample at Mandur site shows the presence of microrganisms such as E.Coli, iron bacteria, Vibrio spp, Streptococcus spp is very high, which can make populations vulnerable to various diseases.
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