Biomass plants to go by NGT norm

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 21

Expressing satisfaction over the report submitted by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), biomass plants agreed to purchase RDF (refuse derived fuel) from the solid waste management plant in the hearing held at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi yesterday.

However, officials of power plants didn’t give any reply regarding purchasing of RDF in the NGT.

They have stated that their own report was pending and once they received it, they would be clear whether to purchase RDF or not.

The NGT has directed power plants to submit the probe report in the next hearing, which will take place tomorrow.

In its report, the PPCB has stated that there is no issue in the RDF prepared by JITF Company at the waste management plant and its quality has also improved.

In the previous hearing, the PPCB had submitted its report over the preparation of RDF from garbage at the Bathinda solid waste management plant last week.

The PPCB was told by the NGT to submit its report on the quality of the RDF being prepared at the solid waste plant after biomass operators had raised objection that the quality of the RDF was not good.

It was said to be the reason behind not purchasing of RDF. However, the power plot operators argued that their boiler and technology were different, which was not proper for such RDF and hence, the purchase of RDF had been discontinued.

After hearing the versions of power and biomass plant officials, the NGT said the PPCB had given the RDF report, which stated that the quality of the fuel was good.

If they think that there is difference in the quality, then they can examine it at their own level and submit their report in the next hearing to the NGT, the NGT added.

The NGT said a year ago, you complained of bad quality, which the company has now improved.

JITF Company, which is operating the solid waste management plant in Bathinda, set up at a cost of Rs 30 crore, is facing a huge problem as it is main source of income is 30 tonne of RDF and 30 tonne of manure prepared from the 130 tonne of garbage every day.

It is made mandatory by the NGT for the power and biomass plants to buy 30 per cent of RDF prepared by the solid waste plant.