3 yrs on, cluster-wise solid waste mgmt project still in limbo

LOCAL BODIES MINISTER SAYS PANDEMIC HAS LED TO DELAY; ADDS THAT THEY ARE KEEN TO MAKE CERTAIN CHANGES IN THE PLAN

PATIALA: Three years on, Punjab local government department’s plans to come up with clusterwise scientific solid waste management project (SWMP) are still in limbo.

In 2018, the department had decided to set up such plants across the state for scientific and better management of solid waste, but nothing concrete has been done as of now.

There are at least 170 urban local bodies in Punjab, which generate over 5,500 tonnes of solid waste on daily basis.

In order to manage the waste, these plants were to be come up at Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Ludhiana and Mohali.

“All these projects were originally mooted in 2010 before the previous SAD-BJP government set up one such plant in Bathinda in 2014, but it invited intense criticism from residents.

In 2018, the Congress reworked on these plans and decided to come up with Mohali cluster plant first, of which Patiala district was a part,” said an official. As per the detailed project report, the state had mooted the project with the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada)-patiala cluster.

The cost was pegged at ₹305 crore.according to the detailed project report, the SWMP has been divided into two parts — compost and refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and sanitary landfill facility (SLF).

These will be set up in Patiala, for which, the MC has already indentified 20-acre land at Dudhar village, 20km from here.

The main plant, however, will be set up at Samgauli village in Mohali. “The cluster approach concept was developed to outsource collection, transportation, processing and disposal services, but on seeing the legal obstructions and public protest, the department is reluctant to go ahead with the project,” an official said while seeking anonymity. Meanwhile, local bodies minister Brahm Mohindra said the projects have been delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic as they are keen to make certain changes in the plans.

“Instead of rushing to set up plants, the department will redesign and replan the entire project. Moreover, it is very important to keep financial aspects in mind before going ahead,” Mohindra said.

Patiala municipal commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur said the civic body has not got any update on solid waste project yet, but the corporation has recently come up with biomining and remediation project to carry out scientific segregation of waste at Patiala’s main dump site.