Correlated with increase in population, life maintainingactivities from production, manufacturing to consumption lead to need for disposal of solid waste – bio-degradable or non-biodegradable. Understandable even by the thickbrains the compulsory engagement of more and more land masses as dumping sitespits and the miasma they emit throughshort or long term decomposition intensifying the health hazardsand shrinkage in safe land usages prioritise the work of solid waste management. As per Housing &Urban Affairs Ministry, out of 1.43 lakh tons per day of solid waste generated across the country, only 33800 tons per day werebeing processed as on 31-1-2018. The government aims to achieve 100 percent scientific management of solid waste and also make country open defecation free by2-10-2019 – the 150thbirth anniversaryof Gandhi. Viewing the urgency of the problem the Ministry has directed thestates to send it a detailed month-wise action plan for the state and its cities having more than one lakh population. For harnessingwaste to any utility processing plants are required. Construction of aprocessing plant takes a gestation period of one to two years from the date oftendering to commencing and operational phase. Co-related with increase inproduction and daily growing populationquantum of garbage expands accordingly. Presently Maharashtra with 22,570 tons per day is the highest producer of solid waste processing only 7,900 tons that is 35 per cent while as Skim process 66percent and the J & K is stated to be processing less than 10 percent per day.
With Srinagar city generating 450 metric tons per day of solid waste, the subject-matterexperts conceived a waste-to-energyproject to be installed at Aachin in the city’s Sangam area that serves as a dumping site for the Municipal authorities that would generate fivemega watt power . The project would have the city’s 450 metric ton solid wasteconverted into low cost electricity and also enable useful disposal of harmfulwaste. The aim of the project is to end the crisis of solid waste management inSrinagar city and to create a mechanism of waste management at bearable costs.Such waste to energy project is thefirst of its kind in J & K that has been approved by the cabinet and alsothe first ever innovation in Municipal operations. The project under public-private–partnership mode has to be designed, managed, and developed by Consortium ofM/s Highland Automobiles Pvt. Ltd,Astrix and Key Stone Energy Limited at a cost of Rs.120 crore to be borne bythe bidder subject to the conditionthat government signs power royaltyagreement with the Consortium. In January 2018 Srinagar Municipal Corporation,whose considerable portion of annual budgetis gnawed by waste management, successfully contracted the project to theconsortium of three companies to establishit within 18 months – a dead line set by National Green Tribunal. The NGT ordermade the Consortium liable to fine of Rs. 50,000 if the dead line was crossed.The time period was reckonable from the date state governmentexecuted the deal with the Consortium. Although directions by the NGT werepassed on 27-12-2017 the ambitious and innovative project is yet to see theestablishment activities.
The dumping site at Aachin, where the project is to come up,has not only disturbed the water table but also changed the profile of watercontent in the vicinity by way ofinundation resulting through continuous load bearing. Consequently the peopleof Aachin area have been from some time past resisting the continuance ofdumping site by the Municipal authorities . The resistance at times culminatedin violent protests and blockage ofentry of Municipal vehicles ferrying the garbage to the lone site inSrinagar followed by some pacificatory/dictativeapproaches by the governments. The very conception of establishing of a fivemega watt waste-to- energy project atthe site was a soul consoling one for the people/area concerned besides aneconomy mitigator. Less fortunately it has log jammed on way to establishment statedly for deficiency of executing powerpurchase agreement with the Consortium. As the phenomenon of expanding orincreasing the number of dumping sites bracketed by the natural topographicaland ecological restraints isunsustainable to go unrestricted, solid waste management & disposal equates in importance withfood safety and food security. Given the scenario of energy crisis in J & K especially during winter season theproject implementation should have beencleared of all technical, administrative, contractual and other procedural hurdles to go into operation phaseas soon as possible. Firstly a citysanitation issue graduated gradually to a brain-teasing problem is now fast making a debut in the townships, urban agglomerations andeven in big villages as the natural wedges, pits, gorges, unclaimed/unattendedvoids are getting rapidly filled up/occupied at a faster ratedue to swiftly kaleidoscopic changes in over all lifestyles of the populace.
With the avoidable and excessive use of disposables theirdisposal itself has become nightmarish for the authorities/management concernedwith the cleanliness and sanitation activities as segregating and bundling of garbage & disposals in any kinds of coloured tins specified for bio-degradable and non-biodegradable solid waste is not a permanent solution except a problem swap. As per information, not solate, the solid waste generation in J & K on an average has increased from 2568 tonnes per day in 2012 to 3,134 tonnes per day as on 10/2018. Tostruck the problem at the root is first to minimize generating solid waste and second its fruitful quick eco-friendly & exchequer friendlydisposal. For the first people are to bemade aware of the multiple uses product can be put to with government facilitating the awareness.For second government is to come up with suitable waste disposal projects thebest one of which can be none otherthan generating energy followed by formulation of plastic roads tosave kareva lands and peaks in the bestinterests of the earth sciences. Installingincinerators suitably at requisite places may also prove fruitful. Any roll back or even delay in the implementation of the initiative should not becompromised but extended to districtheadquarters also for what we are grappling with two major cities today will chase us tomorrow in the districts equally. Such dually beneficial projects need & deserve attention in allearnestness at least in our case whichis caged in many circles.
(The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer working as Consultant in the A.G’s OfficeSrinagar.)