Noida authority plans to set up plant to recycle waste into ‘green charcoal’

The Noida authority is exploring a proposal to set up a waste recycling plant aimed at converting the city’s waste into ‘green charcoal’ to generate revenue, officials said on Sunday. The plant would also help address the growing waste problem and improve the city’s performance in cleanliness surveys, they added. 

The initial plan to establish the facility at a landfill site in Astoli village, Greater Noida, has faced delays due to protests by local farmers. Farmers argue that the project would bring foul odours and hazardous emissions to the neighbourhood. In light of these protests, the authority is considering alternative solutions to tackle the waste piling up in Sector 145 along the Hindon River. 

Lokesh M, chief executive officer of the Noida authority, said that they are in the early stages of evaluating presentations from various agencies for the green charcoal project. “The mountain of waste is growing in Sector 145. Therefore, we are working on the proposal to set up a plant to recycle the waste into green charcoal. Many agencies have given a presentation about the project, and a few are yet to present this week. Once the presentations are over, we will take the project to the next stage,” he said. 

After selecting the appropriate recycling technology, the authority will draft tender terms and conditions to select an expert company for the project. Officials estimate the tender document will be ready within a month and will explore implementation models, including public-private partnerships. Invitations for proposals are expected to be issued in one or two months. 

An official familiar with the project said that the recycling plant would not cause odours or emissions. “The plant to convert the waste into green charcoal will not cause any nuisance or emissions in the neighbourhood. The authority’s key aim is to recycle the waste and perform better in the cleanliness survey that happens annually,” the official said. 

Since February 2023, the authority has been working with an agency to process waste at the Sector 145 landfill site. The agency has installed two machines capable of remediating 1,000 metric tonnes of waste daily and is expected to clear the site within 12 months, an official aware of the development said. However, residents living near the landfill have raised concerns about foul odours and pollution. 

“We are protesting against the landfill in our village because it will cause pollution as it will generate hazardous emissions once the plants are set up,” said Manoj Kumar, a farmer from Astoli village.

“The Noida authority had assured us that the waste in sector 145 landfill will be treated and this area will become clean. But even after so many months the waste is still lying there,” said Ashish Singh a resident of sector 142 located near sector 145 landfill site.

The planned facility in Astoli was initially expected to address the issue permanently, but protests have stalled progress, officials added.