Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is known for too ambitious targets. In one of the latest additions, it has announced that by the year 2019, it would be able to treat all of the solid waste generated in the city. Ashwin Mudgal, Municipal Commissioner, has included this particular statement in the budget document he prepared and submitted to the Standing Committee of NMC recently. Given the past experience, NMC will have to work really hard to see that this particular statement turns into reality. There are several reasons for this.
Nagpur city generates around 1,200 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste daily. Of this, M/s Hanjer Biotech Energies Private Limited treats between 150-200 MT of solid waste and composting is done. However, Mudgal had told mediapersons, as the said plant was ‘not being run efficiently’, NMC was in the process of strengthening the composting plant or finding an ‘alternative’.
In this regard, it must be recalled that Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) had pointed out in its report in July 2013 that a part of segregation unit and plastic recycling unit at Bhandewadi dumping yard were destroyed in fire and hence were not in operation since 2012.
As a result, the efficiency of the treatment plant was reduced and it could process only 200 MT of solid waste daily as against the capacity of 600 MT, leaving approximately 400 MT of solid waste ‘dumped’ per day. If one considers Mudgal’s budget speech for the year 2018-19, it is clear that even presently the amount of solid waste processed per day is between 150-200 MT. Even if one considers that 200 MT of solid waste is getting processed daily, it leaves 1,000 MT of solid waste going unprocessed.
There is another initiative called the integrated solid waste management plan. Under this plan, NMC had prepared a detailed project report and had submitted the same to State Government so that the local body got aid under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). The entire project of integrated solid waste management entails an expenditure of Rs 308 crore. Though the project report has been approved by the Centre and State Governments, an aid of Rs 96,22,65,615/- only has been sanctioned to NMC. Of this amount, NMC has received Rs 48.11 crore so far.
One of the components of the integrated solid waste management plan is ‘Waste to Energy’ project. For this particular project, M/s Essel Infraprojects Limited and Hitachi Zosen India Private Limited joint venture company has formed a special purpose vehicle M/s Nagpur Solid Waste Processing and Management Private Limited. On May 4, 2017, NMC also signed a concession agreement with this special purpose vehicle. However, if one goes back a little in time and refers to the budget speech of Shravan Hardikar, the then Municipal Commissioner, for the year 2016-17, it was mentioned clearly that it had called tender for treatment of only 800 MT of solid waste per day.
Within two years since then, the quantity of solid waste generated in the city per day appears to have gone up by 400 MT as per the latest budget speech of Mudgal for the year 2018-19. During these two years, what exactly has changed on ground as far as increasing the quantum of solid waste that is treated daily, is yet to be known fully to the people. Besides, (dis)interest shown by the elected body and office-bearers in discussing the matter in public domain, also leaves one wondering if treatment of solid waste is really an issue for them. Against this backdrop, it remains a big question as to how will the local body achieve the ambitious target of treating entire solid waste generated in the city by 2019.
Also read : Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s river cleanliness drive from April
 is known for too ambitious targets. In one of the latest additions, it has announced that by the year 2019, it would be able to treat all of the solid waste generated in the city.){kind=link}