NGT summons biomass, power plants

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 7

A hearing of the solid waste management plant located on the Mansa road was held at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi yesterday.

The NGT has summoned officials of the biomass and power plants in the 100-km radius of the city to be present in the next hearing scheduled for November 10 over the issue of not purchasing RDF prepared at the solid waste management plant.

During the last hearing, the JITF company told the NGT that the refuse derived fuel (RDF) being prepared by the plant was not purchased by any power and biomass plant, due to which the company was facing losses and problems in running the plant.

The company officials also stated that the MCB was not cooperating with them.

After the NGT directions, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has issued a letter to seven bio-mass plants in and around the district.

The biomass plants include Whiten Energy, Talwandi Sabo Power Plant Limited, Guru Gobind Singh Thermal Plant, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda, Universal Biomass, Malwa Power Limited and D Development Engineer.

Officials of these seven plants will have to disclose the reason for not purchasing RDF prepared at the solid waste plant.

Significantly, according to the Solid Waste Rules 2016, it is mandatory to purchase RDF prepared at the plant.

During the last hearing held on October 26, the NGT had asked for a report on the current situation of the solid waste plant.

At the same time, the company and the government were also asked to submit a report on the problems faced by them.

The NGT had made it clear that the solid waste plant was to be run in each and every situation.

In this case, the order to resolve the dispute with the company regarding the plant was also issued by the NGT to the government and the Local Bodies Department.

Company faces losses, problems 

• A hearing of the solid waste management plant located on the Mansa road was held at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi on Monday. 
• During the last hearing, the JITF company told the NGT that the refuse derived fuel (RDF) being prepared by the plant was not purchased by any power and biomass plant, due to which the company was facing losses and problems in running the plant. 

.