Srinagar, September 28: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday informed the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly that the proposed 800 TPD Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Project at Achan, Srinagar, estimated at Rs 361 crore, is currently at the tendering stage.
Replying to a question by MLA Mubarik Gul during the Question Hour of the ongoing Autumn Session, the Chief Minister, who is also Minister Incharge Housing & Urban Development, said the project has an estimated waste-processing capacity of 800 tonnes per day and a timeline of 25 years, including a construction period of 24 months.
The proposed integrated project comprises composting facilities, a Bio-CBG plant, Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility, scientific sanitary landfill, transfer stations, leachate management infrastructure and other ancillary environmental infrastructure.
The Chief Minister informed the House that no agency or contractor has so far been allotted the project, as the project is presently under the tendering process.
Meanwhile, a range of measures are being implemented by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for scientific management of municipal waste, environmental protection and remediation of legacy waste at Achan until the new integrated project is commissioned.
The SMC is presently managing around 500–550 TPD of municipal solid waste generated within Srinagar municipal limits through an integrated system of collection, transportation, processing and disposal. 100 per cent door-to-door collection has been achieved across all wards, while around 60 per cent source segregation is currently being achieved through sustained IEC campaigns, public participation and strengthened collection mechanisms.
The municipal corporation has also deployed more than 380 waste collection and transportation vehicles and engaged over 2,700 sanitation workers for collection, transportation and sanitation services.
At Achan, a 100 TPD Material Recovery Facility has been established for segregation and recovery of recyclable materials including plastics, paper, cardboard and metals. The facility is operated and maintained through a specialized agency for scientific processing, recovery and channelization of recyclable materials to authorized recyclers and end users.
The SMC has also established a 85 TPD wet waste processing plant at Achan for scientific processing of segregated wet and biodegradable municipal solid waste, contributing to reduction in pollution and foul odour and promoting sustainable waste management practices.
On the legacy waste accumulated at the Achan dumpsite, the Chief Minister informed the House that biomining and bioremediation of approximately 11 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste has been taken up. The work has been awarded to a specialized agency, with windrow formation and associated civil works presently underway. Scientific segregation, recovery of recyclable material and stabilization of waste fractions are being undertaken as part of the remediation process.
A 60 KLD leachate treatment plant is also under construction for scientific management and disposal of leachate at the site.
In another initiative, a 125 TPD Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Facility is being established at Achan under SBM-U 2.0. The work has been awarded, civil works have been completed, and mechanical works and equipment installation are currently in progress.
The facility, once commissioned, will enable scientific processing of C&D waste, recovery and reuse of construction materials, reduction in illegal dumping and conservation of natural resources through recycling and reuse.
The measures being implemented at Achan are aimed at strengthening scientific waste management, improving resource recovery, addressing legacy waste and reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal in Srinagar pending implementation of the new integrated solid waste management project.
