Bioremediation begins at Bhagtanwala dump, again

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 7

After drawing a blank from its garbage bioremediation initiatives in the past, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has started the process of bioremediation of garbage at Bhagtanwala Dump again.

Recently, the Amritsar MSW Company Limited started the functioning of two machines for garbage bioremediation under the supervision of the MC. Officials of the health wing of the MC claimed that as soon as AVERDA Waste Management, a Dubai-based firm, will take over the Amritsar MSW Company Limited, the project would be fully functional. More machines would be brought to enhance the speed of the bioremediation.

Bioremediation is one of the major components of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and National Green Tribunal (NGT) had also directed the civic body to initiate bioremediation of garbage. Following the recommendation of the NGT, the MC initiated the construction of a wall around the dump and will also develop a green belt by planting trees.

“We started the bioremediation wok at Bhagtanwala dump recently. More machines will be added. AVERDA will take over this project and implement it properly. Composite pits have been prepared. The company will also install the waste energy plant. The boundary wall is under-construction and green belt will be devolved soon,” said Dr Ajay Kawar, municipal health officer.

Residents of Bhagtanwala are facing several health and sanitation issues due to the garbage dump. The government often announces several projects of solid waste management, but fails to implement these. Area residents are demanding shifting of the dump away from the city.

Davinder Singh, a resident of Bhagtanwala, said: “It is our long pending demand to shift the garbage dump or maintain it as per the standards of the NGT. But the government has failed to implement any recommendation of the NGT so far. Several people staying around the site have complained of chest infections and other health complications. As a majority of residents in these localities belong to the economically weaker section of society and are less educated, they consider these as minor ailments, but it can be a major health complication as well.”

WHAT IS BIOREMEDIATION

• Bioremediation is a way to manage or degrade garbage. The trimble machine crushes garbage and it automatically segregates plastic, debris, soil and manure. After bio-treatment, the garbage can be used as manure in fields. The plastic can be recycled. It is an eco-friendly and cost-effective method as compared to other traditional techniques such as incineration.
• Earlier, the MC officials had started the bioremediation plant twice, but the solid waste management company was facing financial constraints and this was the reason why the firm failed to implement it.
• Last year, a penalty of Rs20 lakh was imposed by the NGT on MC for not following the guidelines of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.