Chandigarh: NEERI backs city’s new waste plant

During the meeting with the NEERI director, councillors from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised concerns over various technical aspects of the plant

Amid objections and technical queries by the opposition parties on the setting up of a new integrated waste management plant at Dadumajra, the Chandigarh municipal corporation on Monday fielded Atul Narayan Vaidya, director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, to support their proposed multi-crore project.

Vaidya, who was in the city to attend a CSIR programme, was specially called by MC officials to address the concerns of the councillors. (HT Files)

Vaidya, who was in the city to attend a CSIR programme, was specially called by MC officials to address the concerns of the councillors. During the meeting with the NEERI director, councillors from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised concerns over various technical aspects of the plant.

Opposition councillors, who had raised concerns as to why the plant will convert waste to CNG when the motive is to create ‘waste to energy’ and electricity or ethanol can be produced, Vaidya said, “Bio CNG is the technology best suited for Chandigarh City as per its climate and characteristics of municipal solid waste. Every city has to have its waste redressed as per its own environment, culture, characteristics, food culture, segregation and other issues. At present, the civic body collects around 550 metric tonnes (MT) garbage daily, of which around 374 MT is wet waste while the remaining is dry waste. Since the city does not have more industries, the dry waste will not increase in future and hence, CNG production will be best suitable in these conditions.”

He further informed that the CNG produced in the plant may be used to produce electricity, hydrogen or ethanol in future. “However, some of these technologies are yet to stabilise. There will be no issue of odour as bio filters are provided to check the same. After installation of the plant, NEERI would also be supervising the performance of working of the plant,” he assured the councillors.

When councillors raised concerns over air and water pollution at the plant site, Vaidya said, “Once the plant has been set up, the issue of leachate would also end. The Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) rules clearly mention the norms—what kind of air quality, water quality has to be ensured and the plans have been made by complying all the MSW rules.”

At present, the civic body collects around 550 metric tonnes (MT) garbage daily, of which around 374 MT is wet waste while the remaining is dry waste. The civic body is operating a wet waste plant on the premises of the erstwhile Jaypee Group Plant, whose capacity, even after upgrade and extensions, is less than 200 MT daily. With insufficient processing capacity, the civic body is dumping around 174 MT of unprocessed fresh wet waste at Dadumajra dumping ground daily, which can cause a third garbage mountain in coming years if the new plant is not set up.

Study tour: City councillors, MC officials to leave for Goa today

City councillors and MC officials will leave for Goa on Tuesday to study the garbage processing plant of the state, which is also running as per the suggestions of the NEERI. The total cost of the study tour is expected to be around ₹25 lakh.

A total of 17 councillors, including those from BJP, Congress, SAD and nominate ones, will visit the plant besides MC officials. For the first time, Chandigarh MC will also be taking nine residents of Dadumajra on the study tour, at the expense of the civic body. The AAP councillors, who have been opposing setting up of the plant, have boycotted the tour. AAP councillor Kuldeep Dhalor from Dadumajra, on Monday, said, “This study tour for the councillors of Chandigarh is a misuse of people’s tax money and bribery. MC should have taken on the tour before approving the agenda in the house and before inviting RFPs.”

Meanwhile Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi said, “Congress will attend the tour and will check the technical aspects of the Goa plant. We are still concerned as to how MC can initiate process to set the plant before getting the scientific report on pollution. Also, what if the technology changes in next five years or the company just leaves the 15-year long project in mid-way?”