The Hindu 26.09.2013
Mayor pins hopes on mixed waste processing plant
Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana isn’t too worried about the
hiccups in enforcing waste segregation at source in the city. After
visiting the Hanjer Biotech Energies Pvt. Ltd. plant in Salem, which
generates compost, plastic ingots and refuse derived fuel from mixed
waste, the Mayor hopes to set up one such plant here as well.
He
visited the plant on Wednesday with city in-charge Minister Ramalinga
Reddy, BBMP commissioner M. Lakshminarayan and several councillors.
“We
will apprise the High Court of Karnataka about this technology that
processes mixed waste. If the court okays it, the BBMP can go slow on
setting up dry waste collection centres across the city,” Mr.
Sathynarayana said.
‘Segregation a must’
However,
Mr. Lakshminarayan maintained that segregation of waste at source was
the only viable long-term solution to solving the city’s garbage
problem. Segregation was mandatory as per the Municipal Solid Waste
Management Rules. “While processing technology that uses mixed waste is
good, segregation of garbage at source is important,” he said.
New plant
Mr.
Reddy and Mr. Sathyanarayana wanted to know when the company would
establish the processing unit at Rajarajeshwarinagar here. Nadeem
Furniturewala, managing director of the company, said they had already
submitted plans for the plant to the BBMP and were waiting for approval.
“The
BBMP has to build a compound wall around the land before handing it
over to us, following which we can begin the construction activities. We
will be able to commission the plant in 10 to 12 months,” he said.
Mr.
Furniturewala said the plant in Bangalore, to be set up on a 10-acre
plot, would have the capacity to process 800 tonnes of mixed waste. The
company had applied for loan on the machinery to set up the plant. “We
cannot take loan on the land as the land belongs to the BBMP.”
Mr.
Reddy assured Mr. Sathyanarayana and Mr. Lakshminarayan of getting the
requisite clearances. He said the city needed at least four such
processing units for effective solid waste management.