Bandhwari WTE plant on MCG priority list, October deadline set for groundwork

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Saturday directed its waste management concessionaire, Ecogreen, to clear at least 10 acres at the Bandhwari landfill by October for setting up a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Saturday directed its waste management concessionaire, Ecogreen, to clear at least 10 acres at the Bandhwari landfill by October for setting up a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant.

Legacy waste of around 2.5 million tonnes is estimated to be dumped at the landfill. (HT ARCHIVE)

MCG commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja directed the agency to clear a portion of legacy waste and move the existing compost and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) at the landfill to an alternative site to start work on the WTE plant while simultaneously continuing to clear legacy waste.

“I held a meeting with representatives of Ecogreen on Thursday where I received information about the solid waste management methodology they are using to clear legacy waste. Following this, I have set them a deadline of October for clearing a portion of legacy waste, and shifting existing compost and RDF to a new site so that there is adequate space of at least 10 acres to set up the WTE project,” said Ahuja.

The agreement for setting up a WTE plant was signed between the Haryana government and Ecogreen in August 2017. However, due to the 2.5 million tonnes of legacy waste enveloping the entire landfill area, there was no progress in the regard for four years. The project has now picked up momentum after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) earlier this year rapped the MCG for failing to clear legacy waste at the landfill site and directed the agency to take measures to remedy the situation at the earliest.

Ahuja said he has directed Ecogreen officials to increase the capacity of trommel machines at the landfill for an increased processing rate and ensuring waste can be disposed of within the stipulated time period. Ecogreen has currently deployed eight trommel machines at the landfill that can cumulatively process around 2,400 tonnes of legacy waste daily.

“We are complying with all directions as issued by the MCG commissioner. Work on clearing legacy waste from the landfill using trommel machines is in full swing. We are on course to complete the clearing of the required area for setting up the waste-to-energy plant as per the MCG’s set deadline,” said an official spokesperson for Ecogreen.

An MCG official familiar with the matter said that Ecogreen representatives also apprised Ahuja about the door-to-door garbage collection, and its transportation process.

“Ecogreen officials informed the MCG commissioner that in all 35 MCG wards, manual rickshaws and tripper machines have been placed for the door-to-door waste collection process. Further, they also told him that trommel machines and ballistic separators have also been installed at the Bandhwari landfill to clear and process legacy waste. For the leachate emerging from the collected waste, Ecogreen officials said that they have built storage tanks along with setting up a leachate treatment plant to collect and treat the same,” the senior MCG official said.