Deccan Chronicle 05.11.2009

‘Will ask BBMP to stop work’

Bengaluru
Nov. 4: The people have won the day as their complaints against the grade separator at Tagore Circle junction have been heard. Prof. M.N. Srihari, traffic advisor to the government, has promised to stop work on the separator and have the road re-laid.

“Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will be told to stop the work and relay the road soon,” Prof. Srihari assured the people, concluding after an inspection of the project, that an underpass at Tagore Circle junction was not the answer to traffic trouble here.

“BBMP should have gone in for a magic box here instead to connect BP Wadia Road and Bugle Rock Road. This underpass will be of little use,” Prof. Srihari, who is also chairman, Traffic Expert and Safety Trainers (TEST), said pointing out that the project did not make economic sense either as a magic box could be built for Rs 15 lakh, while the underpass will require nearly Rs 20 crore to complete. In his view, the civic agency BBMP should have opted for widening the road and introducing signals at this point for better traffic flow.

The people of Basavangudi, who were consulted by Prof. Srihari, told him traffic conditions had worsened in the area since work on the grade separator began. “The underpass was needed at South End Circle and elsewhere but not here. We were not asked for our views before Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike began work on the grade separator. If the civic body does not stop the work even now, we will go to court and get the necessary stay orders,” Shantha Puttaraju, a resident of Basavangudi, warned.

The Hindu 05.11.2009

Discom to buy power from waste processing company

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Power distribution company BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL) to buy electricity from Delhi’s first waste to power initiative.

The agreement entitles the discom to procure 49 per cent of the total electricity generated at the under-construction plant. Power generated from the Ghazipur renewable energy power plant is expected to electrify around 4,000 homes, each having a load of 2.5 kW.

“Under the terms of the agreement, BYPL will procure 49 per cent of the 10 MW electricity that will be generated at the Ghazipur renewable energy power plant. BYPL will procure power at a competitive tariff rate of Rs.3.668 per kWh, determined by a competitive bidding process,” said BYPL CEO Ramesh Narayanan.

The agreement that was signed on October 29 allows the promoters to sell the balance 51 per cent electricity through a suitable open access mechanism. The power plant processing around 1,200 tonnes of municipal solid waste generated in the national Capital daily is expected to be commissioned around the Commonwealth Games. “Being pro-environment is the focus of all our corporate social responsibility initiatives. BSES not only champions the environment cause, we actually walk the talk. Our participation in this renewable power initiative is the latest in a series of such initiatives,” said Mr. Narayanan. The power plant at Ghazipur will be the second such project in the city that will utilise the city’s solid waste to generate clean and renewable electricity. The other project is coming up at Okhla. Together the two projects will generate 26 MW of electricity by cumulatively processing around 2,600 tonnes of solid waste daily.

“These novel projects offer an integrated opportunity to not only manage the city’s colossal municipal solid waste in an environment friendly manner, but also provides clean, green and pollution free electricity”, said a BYPL spokesperson.

According to experts, the amount of gas generated from a 10 MW municipal solid waste power plant yields the same reduction in greenhouse gases as planting around 1.19 lakh trees or removing 83,000 cars from the road for a year. “Commissioning of these two projects will see Delhi join the ever growing number of cities in America and Europe which process their municipal solid waste to generate clean electricity. According to experts, there are over 400 such successful examples in US alone,” said the spokesperson.