Plastic waste processing plant in Chandigarh on the cards

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, April 19

The city is going to get its first plastic waste processing plant. At present, the plastic waste generated in the city remains unprocessed and is directly dumped at the Dadu Majra ground, leading to more trouble.

The reason is that the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) technology at the Sector 25 waste processing plant has remained unsuccessful and is currently non-functional.

The civic body is considering two models for the plant. One, in which the MC will only give land to an agency that will set up the plant and earn by selling its by-product.

Another model will have equal partnership between the MC and the agency in all aspects. The site for the plant has not been decided yet. It may be next to the existing processing plant site.

MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra and the Chief Engineer today visited a plastic waste management plant in Surat in this regard. Tomorrow, the officers will visit another plant in Ahmedabad.

Following this, they will finally go to Mumbai to see a horticulture waste processing plant. “By the year-end, we will have both plants installed,” the MC chief told Chandigarh Tribune. At present, the horticulture waste is also thrown at the dumping ground. Mitra said they would need five or six processing plants for better management of the garbage. The MC has already floated a tender for the repair and overhaul of the existing solid waste processing plant in Sector 25. Chandigarh generates about 550 metric tonnes of garbage per day, but the waste processing plant in Sector 25 is able to process only about 120 MT waste per day. The remaining garbage is thrown across the road in the Dadu Majra dumping ground. The civic body got a blow earlier this year as it fell to the 66th rank in the Swachh Survekshan.

MC chief to visit plant in Ahmedabad today

• At present, the plastic waste remains unprocessed and is directly dumped at the Dadu Majra ground, leading to more trouble.
• MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra and the Chief Engineer on Tuesday visited a plastic waste management plant in Surat in this regard. On Wednesday, the officers will visit another plant in Ahmedabad.