Sorting waste to save shrinking lakes

GHMC is in the process of identifying dump sites for depositing the construction and demolition (C&D) waste, from where the concessionaire for processing the waste may transport the same to the plants to be set up in Jeedimetla and Fathullahguda.

So far, a total of 30 spots have been identified across the city for this purpose, officials have informed.

Identification of such sites assumes importance, as C&D waste continues to be dumped in the city lakes resulting in their shrinkage, despite instructions to the contrary and deployment of exclusive vehicles for collection of C&D waste.

The Corporation has launched 20 vehicles in December last for collection and shifting of construction debris wherever it is found. So far, more than 9000 metric tonnes of C&D waste has been collected and shifted to Jawaharnagar dump yard and Jeedimetla sites. “We have been collecting waste as indicated by Zonal Commissioners as of now. We have convinced the concessionaire Ramky Enviro Engineers to use part of the debris in capping the legacy dump at Jawaharnagar,” Additional Commissioner looking after C&D operations N. Ravi Kiran said.

Lakes are one prominent location to find the demolition waste, as they still get illegally dumped with the waste during nights. Installation of C&D waste processing units at both the sites may take six months more, as clearance by the State Pollution Control Board is awaited, he said. Each of the two units will be installed with the capacity to process 500 MT per day. Though it is estimated that the city generates about 500 MT of C&D waste per day, officials feel that it is too premature to guess unless they knew where the debris was going. “We have reports that the debris is being used for filling the basement of the buildings, which is not advisable,” Mr. Ravi Kiran said.

A report by the Centre for Fly Ash Research And Management (C-FARM), New Delhi, in association with the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), puts the daily generation of C&D waste in city at 750 tonnes. The area to be covered under Jeedimetla and Fathullahguda plants which will have the capacity to process 500 tonnes is 216.5 sq.km. and 85.5 sq.km., respectively. Two more plants will be set up subsequently, to cover the whole city. GHMC has awarded the collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of C&D waste to Ramky under public-private-partnership mode for 25 years. Tipping fee of ₹342 per MT will be collected for the same. Proposal is to collect the fee from the developers when they come for building clearances.