State’s first integrated solid waste management project to be set up in Badlapur

Mumbai: The state’s first integrated solid waste management project is going to be set up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region’s Badlapur area with a capacity to treat waste from three cities- Badlapur, Ambernath, and Ulhasnagar, which has a population of 12.50 lakh which will rise to 17 lakh by 2037. The plant will cost ₹148 crore and will have a capacity to treat 641 tonnes per day when it starts operations. This can be raised to 900 tonnes by 2037.

Authorities have finalised the contractor and work of the waste management plant is expected to be complete in the next nine months.

The decision to set up the integrated waste management project for three cities was taken last year and now the authorities have finalised the ‘R&B Infra Pvt. Ltd’ company to set up the project and run it for 15 years. MMRDA has contributed ₹128 crore for the project. The representative of MMRDA officers will work as a member on the coordination committee of the project as it involves three different civic bodies.

As per the project plan, all civic bodies will collect the garbage in their respective area and will bring it to the dumping ground of Badlapur. The company will segregate garbage like debris, plastic, rubber, paper, e-waste etc and wet waste. Wet waste will be used for making compost and other waste like rubber, plastic etc will be sent to the manufacturer and the by-product and company will earn from it. Besides that company will also charge fees for waste management.

“With increasing urbanisation, the issue of waste disposal is becoming a key issue in urban planning. The problem of dumping ground is major in some areas. The waste management project is a solution but at many places, municipal councils and corporations were struggling to execute the project due to the viability. This integrated solid waste management project is one of the solutions. The total responsibility of the project is with civic bodies and MMRDA is coordinating the project” said the official.

“This integrated solid waste management project will end the problem of dumping ground for three civic bodies. As we are providing the land and other facilities to the contractor the recurring expenditure on waste disposal will come down. We will have to give around ₹250 per tonne to the company which is too less than in other models. The rest of the money the company will earn from the supply of waste materials to the manufacturers of by-products. The company will make compost out of the wet waste. MMRDA is looking after the process and the contractor has been finalised. Soon there will be formal agreement and work will start to build the waste management,” said Yogesh Godse, chief officer of Badlapur municipal corporation.