Chandigarh: Work on new waste plant finally gets off the ground

After remaining in the works for more than two years, the new solid waste processing plant, aimed at efficiently tackling Chandigarh’s daily garbage, is finally set to take concrete shape.

On Thursday, UT adviser Dharam Pal approved the floating of an expression of interest (EOI). “The EOI will help us determine the different technologies and models offered by various players in the market. On the basis of the options available, we will prepare the request for proposal (RFP, tender document).”

Pal said, “Technology that is efficient for processing the entire city’s waste on a daily basis will be opted for, apart from lowest emissions and smallest carbon footprint.”

Through the EOI, which is expected to be floated on Monday, the agencies will have 21 days to submit different options, following which the RFP will be readied in another two months.

Thereafter, it will take at least six months for the tendering process to be completed. The new plant is expected to start functioning 18 months after completion of the tendering process.

For nearly a decade now, most of the city’s solid waste is being dumped unprocessed at the Dadumajra dumping site.

The municipal corporation had taken over of the existing plant from Jaypee Group in June 2020. But even after that the plant has been processing less than 50 MT (million tonnes) of the total 550 MT of solid waste generated in the city on a daily basis.

After a report by IIT Roorkee, which recommended setting up of a new plant, MC had decided to explore the latest technology for another plant. But for over a year, there was no further progress on the plan.

Notably, the failure to run the solid waste processing plant efficiently and clear the legacy waste at the landfill had dragged Chandigarh down to the 66th position in the 2021 Swachh Survekshan, and was also a key issue that resonated among all parties and voters during the recently conducted MC elections.

Integrated plant

The new integrated plant will comprise three facilities – one each for dry, wet and horticulture waste. The capacity of the plants will be in tandem with the daily waste produced in the city.

Of the nearly 550 MT waste generated in the city daily, around 200 MT is dry and 350 MT wet. “There will be a provision of enhancement of capacity as per the projections of increase in daily waste production,” said a senior UT official.

Location of the plant, which will be spread over 20 acres, has yet to be finalised. “It can come up near the existing solid waste processing plant in Sector 25. The firm selected to set up the new plant will be allowed to inspect the land sites available and assess feasibility,” said the official.

The firm running the plant may produce biomethane and compressed natural gas (CNG), besides carrying out composting.

For the plant, to be set up under the revenue-sharing model, the administration will provide the 20 acres at a token cost on leasehold basis for 20 years. The firm will set up the plant on its own cost and will also own the by-products and carbon credits from the plant.

A portion of profit earned from it will be shared with the MC.

Existing plant to be repaired

MC will soon also float an RFP for the repair and operation of the existing plant at Sector 25. The repair work, estimated to cost ₹6 crore, is likely to be completed in six months. “Before the new plant becomes fully operational, we cannot continue to dump unprocessed waste at Dadumajra. So, the existing plant will be repaired so that some stop-gap arrangement exists in the city,” said the official.