Nagpur Municipal Corporation cancels waste-to-energy, bio-CNG projects

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has cancelled the proposed waste-to-energy and waste-to-bio-CNG projects.

However, it will continue with compost, material recovery facility (MRF) and reuse of construction and demolition waste projects.

NMC has terminated the contract with Nagpur Solid Waste Processing and Management (NSWPMPL), a joint venture of Noida’s Essel Infraprojects, and Japan’s Hitachi Zosan India for waste-to-energy project. It has also forfeited bank guarantee of Rs five crore.

NMC has floated a new tender for scientific disposal of remaining garbage through bio-mining.

A proposal was submitted to the state government to revise the city’s solid waste management plan under the Central government’s Swachh Bharat Mission.

The waste-to-bio-CNG project was supposed to be developed with a capacity of 500 tonne. The project has been dropped by terming it as unviable. The entire wet waste from 1,100 tonne will be used for compost. MRF will take care of dry waste.

Apart from these two, a project has been planned to process and reuse construction and demolition waste.

NSWPMPL was awarded the contract on 4 May 2017 to treat 800 tonne garbage and generate 11.5 MW power. The plant was supposed to be commissioned on 7 January 2020.

NMC had served a show cause notice to NSWPMPL and revised the plan to go for waste-to-bio-CNG and compost. Accordingly, the government approved it and released funds of Rs 48.10 crore in January 2020.

After approval from the government, the civic body will float tenders for compost and MRF projects.

As the project to treat and reuse construction and demolition waste is not under Swachh Bharat Mission, NMC is likely to begin its tender soon.

Apart from this, NMC has also floated a tender for treatment and scientific disposal of 6 lakh tonne garbage lying idle at Bhandewadi dumping yard for years. The treatment will be done as per bio-mining system.