12 firms show interest in running Chandigarh’s lone waste processing plant

Sandeep Rana

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28

Having parted ways with the Jaypee Group, the local Municipal Corporation has received interests from as many as 12 companies for upgrading, maintaining and running the city’s only waste processing plant situated in Sector 25.

The MC had invited an expression of interest for the purpose till January 25. “We will now have presentations from all of them and the one found the best will be assigned the work,” said an MC official privy to the development.

The corporation is yet to decide on the terms to be set for the new company that will run the plant. “We will study proposals of all of them and the one that suits the plant will be finalised. Following this, an MoU with terms and conditions will be signed with the firm,” added the official.

The plant was installed by Jaypee Associates on 10 acres following signing of an MoU in 2005. The MC took over the possession of the plant in June this year over the issue of non-processing of waste. As per the corporation, the city produces about 500 metric tonne (MT) of waste a day. However, only 60 to 70 MT was being processed at the plant. The remaining waste was thrown across the road in the dumping ground in Dadu Majra. This led to accumulation of a mountain of garbage.

Following this, the MC had sought a view of the IIT, Roorkee. A team from the institute had inspected the plant and recommended setting up of a 500-tonne per day (TPD) plant for the treatment of dry and wet waste. It found that all machines were already 12 years old, which is practically the lifespan of such machines.

Later, a monitoring committee constituted by the NGT issued directions for upgrading the plant so as to increase its capacity. Thus, the agenda regarding upgrading the plant was approved by the House.

MC Commissioner KK Yadav had earlier said about 4.50 lakh MT of garbage had piled up at the dumping ground after 2005. Thus, the MC sought about Rs30 crore in the arbitration from the company for clearing it. The work of biomining an additional 5 lakh MT of waste lying at the dumping ground, which was allotted to a private firm for a whopping Rs33 crore, is on.