New Delhi: With waste treatment capacity only 50% of what is generated each day, the Delhi government is looking to convert the Rajghat power plant, now closed, into a waste-to-energy plant.
In a ministerial meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways of handling solid waste, a decision was taken to carry out a feasibility study on converting the plant into a 4,000-tonne-per-day (tpd) facility. The city produces roughly 10,000-12,000tpd of waste and has a treatment capacity of just about 5,000tpd, of which 2,000tpd is not functional yet.
"The three municipal corporations have agreed with the plan. Being centrally located, the plant is easily accessible. As per the initial discussions, the corporations will provide waste for free and the government will buy the electricity," said power minister Satyendar Jain.
While the waste-to-energy plant at Okhla produces 16 MW and the one at Ghazipur around 12 MW, a 1,550tpd plant in Bawana is yet to start functioning due to disagreement in revenue sharing between the North Corporation and the private contractor. While Jain assured of highest international standards, the existing facilities, especially the one at Okhla, have faced pollution allegations.
Jain also said the government would look at setting up decentralised waste treatment facilities, especially for biodegradable waste, in hotels, housing societies, restaurants and big offices. "We are studying the new central rules. We will also work out if incentives are to be given to promote waste treatment."
The government will also look at similar facilities at mandis, where an approximate 300tpd of waste is generated daily. Treatment of this waste on site will lessen the burden on landfill sites, Jain added. Similarly, he said, about 1,000tpd of manure produced by Delhi's one lakh cattle should be utilised. "Delhi Jal Board's 44 processing units are lying defunct. We are also looking at making use of about 600tpd of sludge produced at sewage treatment plants."
National Highways Authority of India has agreed to take waste from the East Corporation for road construction.
The government has proposed two apps—one to let residents keep track of safaikaramcharis and another for people to report on locations of uncleaned garbage.
