Why delay in projects of waste management, asks Chandigarh Adviser

Speaking to The Indian Express, Pal said, “I want to know why there is so much delay. I want to review as to why the is tender getting failed. I was informed that the tender for upgradation of waste processing plant and remediation have also failed. Also, they have not been able to finalise the request for proposal (RFP) too. That is why I have kept entire schedule only to review waste management. The delay is making us lag behind.”

The Swacch Survekshan rankings too are likely to get affected because not much waste processing could be carried out at the sole plant at Dadu Majra. Later, the civic body decided that as a stop-gap arrangement, the plant be upgraded.

Last month, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit too had expressed concern over the delay in legacy mining of the waste at Dadu Majra and less processing of daily waste. He had directed the officials to expedite both the projects, by setting up another plant for daily waste.

In a meeting held last month, Purohit had taken a review of the solid waste management process in the city. In July, 2021 in a special House meeting convened to finalise the technology for waste plant, officials had said that only 12 per cent waste is being processed even if they run the plant to maximum capacity.

It was said that UT generates 550 to 600 metric tonnes of waste daily and of this, with the present machinery at the plant, the MC was able to process only upto 70 metric tonnes daily. Of this, dry waste is about 200 metric tonnes while kitchen waste is about 150 to 175 metric tonnes. Of this, 75 to 100 metric tonnes is mixed waste and about 125 to 150 metric tonnes is horticulture waste.