Chandigarh takes bold step with new wet waste plant initiative

During the foundation stone-laying ceremony, UT Administrator and Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, along with City Mayor Anup Gupta, UT Adviser Dharampal, Local Body Secretary Nitin Kumar Yadav, Finance Secretary Vijay Namdeo Rao Jade, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra, Area Councillor Kuldeep Kumar, and other officials and prominent individuals, marked the commencement of this vital project.

Governor Purohit revealed that the expanded composting facility, spanning 5 acres of reclaimed land, aims to process 200 tons per day (TPD) of wet waste to produce high-quality, odor-free compost. The contract for this endeavour, amounting to Rs 72.5 million, was awarded to Bhullar Constructions, Bathinda, in August.

Mayor Gupta emphasised that the plant, expected to be operational by year-end, will convert waste into top-notch compost ideal for agricultural use, thanks to its high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N).

Chandigarh generates a daily total of 550 metric tons (MT) of waste, with a substantial 374 MT constituting wet waste. Although the existing waste management plant in Dadumajra has undergone upgrades, it can only process less than 200 MT of wet waste daily. Consequently, 174 MT of untreated fresh wet waste continues to be dumped at the Dadumajra landfill daily.

To address the city's waste challenges comprehensively, the MC has begun the process of selecting a concessionaire to operate and maintain an integrated waste processing plant. This facility, with a capacity of 600 tons per day, will encompass dedicated facilities for dry, wet, and horticulture waste. The project, spanning 17 years (including two years for construction and 15 years for operation and maintenance), is expected to become operational after a 24-month period, following the project's allotment.

To prevent the accumulation of approximately 2 lakh metric tons of legacy waste over the next 2.5 years, the temporary plant will manage the city's wet waste. Additionally, Mayor Gupta highlighted that the MC is actively involved in bio remediating legacy waste dump sites, with one site already cleared and the other, comprising 8 lakh metric tons, set to be processed by February next year.