With the authorities considering a proposal to bio-mine mountains of legacy waste piling up at the waste treatment plant in J.P. Nagar in Mysuru, a delegation of senior officials and elected representatives from the city is shortly expected to visit Nagpur to study an exercise underway there.
During a meeting convened by Housing Minster V. Somanna, who is also the Minister in-charge of Mysuru district to discuss the proposal to carry out bio-mining of two lakh tonnes of untreated waste, it was decided that Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar will lead the delegation to Nagpur.
The delegation, which will also comprise Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, Deputy Mayor Shafi Ahmed, Mysuru City Corporation Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, chairperson of MCC standing committee on health and the civic body’s health officer, has been asked to submit a report before January 3, when the next Karnataka Development Programme meeting is held.
Capacity of company
Zigma Global Environ Solutions, a private solid waste management services company, is carrying out bio-mining of 8 lakh tonnes of legacy waste spread across 50 acres in Nagpur. Zigma director Nagesh Prabhu informed the gathering that their company was capable of bio-mining the two lakh tonnes of legacy waste in Mysuru over 18 months.
Mysuru produces about 450 tonnes of waste every day. But, the waste treatment plant at J.P. Nagar can process only half of it, leading to piling up of large volumes of untreated waste. “If we don’t address the problem immediately, we may well have another hillock in the city, much to the concern of residents,” Mr. Somanna said.
The cost of bio-mining two lakh tonnes of legacy waste is expected to be ₹18 crore. Mr. Somanna assured officials and people’s representatives that he would secure the funds.
The bio-mining procedure involves segregation of waste into organic and inorganic. While organic waste, which can be decomposed, is used as an earthfill, the other is used for purposes such fuel for cement factories. The authorities expect about 25 acres of government land to be reclaimed after the legacy waste is cleared from the J.P. Nagar plant.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Prabhu said Zigma can continue treatment of waste even after bio-mining of legacy waste is completed. Though their capacity is 1,000 tonnes per day, it can be tweaked to adjust the requirements of the city.
