Pimpri-Chinchwad: After the plan to build a garbage depot in Punawale was cancelled, and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is yet to secure a proper substitute for the Moshi Garbage Depot, the garbage disposal problem is growing in the city. However, the civic body has come up with two eco-friendly projects which will resolve the garbage disposal problem in the city, officials announced on Monday.
According to PCMC officials, the civic body has started the process of setting up a Bio-CNG project from household waste. Along with that, a blueprint has been prepared for a 27-megawatt waste-to-energy project at the existing Moshi Garbage Depot. The Environment Department claims that these two eco-friendly projects will resolve the garbage problem.
Reports state that for years, the majority of garbage accumulated in the city has gone to the garbage depot in Moshi near Chikhali. Garbage from the last 36 years has been collected here, and multiple mountains of garbage have been formed across the 81-acre depot area. With the city’s population growing every day and, subsequently, the garbage growing too, merely collecting the garbage in the depot is becoming unsustainable.
Although a census hasn't taken place, it is believed that the population of Pimpri-Chinchwad city has exceeded 30 lakhs. In October this year, PCMC revealed that the city generates 1,400 tonnes of waste daily on average. As the population grows, the waste generation will grow too, say experts. PCMC is working hard to solve this problem.
Chief Engineer Sanjay Kulkarni, in charge of PCMC’s Environment Department, said, “The project to produce Bio-CNG from household wet waste will be established at the Moshi garbage depot, and the tender for it has been published. A grant of ₹67.50 crores has been sanctioned by the Central Government for the project. The blueprint for the 27-megawatt waste-to-energy project has been prepared, and follow-up is being done with the central and state governments for the project's funding.”
PCMC’s Efforts
There are two projects already in place to properly dispose of garbage in the city, but they are lacking as the garbage production is growing day by day. The existing Waste-to-Energy project currently generates 14 megawatts of electricity daily. For this, 700 tonnes of dry waste are incinerated daily. Fertiliser is being produced from the resulting ash. Meanwhile, a Bio-CNG project is also ongoing, where only waste accumulated from commercial places like restaurants is used.
But to further increase the output, two new projects will be introduced. After the success of the previous project, another Waste-to-Energy project is planned to be set up on a Design, Build, Operate, and Transfer (DBOT) basis through a public-private partnership. The estimated cost for this is Rs 1,050 crores. This project, spanning five acres, will generate 27 megawatts of electricity by incinerating 1,000 tonnes of dry waste daily.
A PCMC official noted, “A Material Recovery Facility (MRF) centre with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes will also be established for this purpose. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this project has been prepared. The electricity from this facility will be available to the PCMC at a reduced rate. The PCMC's share in the project will be Rs 200 crores. Efforts are underway to follow up with the Central and State governments to secure funds for this project.”
Meanwhile, the Moshi depot receives 450 tonnes of household wet waste daily. A Bio-CNG project is being set up to process this waste. The tender for this has been published by the Environmental Engineering Department. This project will have a capacity of 375 tonnes per day. This will include the wet waste accumulated from households as well, not only the commercial spaces.
The Central Government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 67.50 crores under Swachh Bharat 2.0 for the project. The project will be gradually expanded to a capacity of 500 tonnes. These two projects will help resolve the problem of both household wet and dry waste. Executive Engineer Harwinder Bansal stated that these projects will help avoid adverse effects on the environment and health.
At A Glance
1) Bio-CNG Project
- Project Capacity: 375 tonnes
- Daily Household Wet Waste Received: 450 tonnes
- Central Government Grant: Rs 67.50 crores
- Project Duration: 15 years
- Tender Published
2) Waste-to-Energy Project
- Capacity to Incinerate Dry Waste: 1,000 tonnes
- Daily Electricity Generation: 27 Megawatts
- Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Centre Capacity: 1,500 tonnes
- Municipal Corporation's Share: Rs 200 crores
- Estimated Cost: Rs 1,050 crores
- Follow up with the Central and State Governments for Funding
