From waste to wealth: CMs’ panel for energy from trash

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19

The Chief Ministers’ committee tasked with the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission said today that generating energy from waste was an important aspect of getting rid of garbage.

The sub-group of Chief Ministers on the Swachh Bharat Mission, which met here today under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, today stressed the need for public- private partnership to realise the dream of clean India by 2019. The panel will submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by June-end.

“Even in the power sector there are developers, who will collect all waste, segregate and then deliver to the power plant, which will then be converted into energy. Depending on in which power plant the waste ends up like for hydro, solar, thermal etc., the tariff rate can then be given accordingly,” he said after chairing the meeting in which the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Mizoram, Haryana, besides representatives of other participating states took part.

“We are going to crate sustainable models. We are going to convert garbage into energy. There are technologies available to treat liquid waste and make it fit for drinking purposes also, like Singapore has shown,” Naidu said.

“ All members gave excellent ideas on how to go about the whole thing. Stress was given not only on preparing the report but how to give practical solutions,” Naidu said.

He said Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar had recommended that sanitation be taught as a subject as part of school curriculum so that students inculcated a habit of cleanliness at an early age.

Naidu said the cost per unit of power generated from waste could come down significantly once the project became commercially viable.