The Environment, Forest, Science and Technology Department is yet to give nod for establishment of waste-to-energy plants (WEP) at Jawaharnagar Dumping Yard. Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd (REEL) has proposed to set up two WEPs of 24 MW each.

The GHMC is implementing an IMSWM project for disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) of 4,000 tonnes per day as per the MSW Rules 2000, ie, door-to-door collection to treatment and disposal) at the Jawaharnagar dumping yard and entered into a pact with REEL in February 2009.

GHMC said that as part of that the State Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has accorded Environmental Clearance to the IMSWM project at Jawaharnagar under the provisions of the EIA notification 2006.

But during a panel meeting last year for issue of CFE for processing and disposal (P&D) facilities at Jawaharnagar, permission was withheld classifying the project under the description of the power project as it was falling within a distance of 25 km to the proposed Biotech Park.

Recently, municipal commissioner MT Krishna Babu, in a letter to special chief secretary M Samuel, said the Jawaharnagar dumping yard is the only site available to GHMC for day-to-day disposal of MSW.

Moreover, the government has approved the IMSWM project where it is the only one land shown for treatment and disposal of the MSW scientifically. While the concessionaire is operating the integrated MSW processing and disposal facility at Jawaharanagar and implementing state-of-the-art technologies to treat waste, various initiatives have been taken to minimise waste to the landfill though composting, RDF manufacturing, recyclables treatment etc.

A WPE plant of 48 MW was planned to further improve the capacity of the facility as EC for setting up the 48 MW waste-to- energy plant has to be given by the APPCB.

The concessionaire was planning to adopt the Pusher Grate technology to minimise air pollution. Moreover, GHMC is facing difficulty in identifying sites for future landfills and the best option available now is to go for WEP.

The GHMC officials clarified that it is only a renewable energy received from the MSW and not a regular power plant. The concessionaire was permitted to take up the pre-construction works at the site.

GHMC wanted the special chief secretary to examine the IMSWM project’s socio-economic and environmental benefits and amend the GO 148 of 2000 which may help the GHMC get the CFE for the WEP at the earliest.