New stench-free dump to have organic farm….Zeeshan Shaikh
By 2013, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will get a dumping ground with a difference. Not only will it be stink-free, it was also generate electricity and contain organic farms producing compost. We have called for global expressions of interest by February 2011 to construct the landfill, said Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) Joint Project Director Dilip Kawathkar.
According to a study conducted by the All Indian Institute of Local Self-Government, the MMR has a population of 2.28 crore and generates 11,209 metric tonnes of garage a day.
All this waste is dumped in landfills close to habitations. MMRDA, hoping to take dumps away from settlements, proposed regional landfills in which garbage from Mumbai and other civic bodies in the MRR could be dumped. MMRDA identified three sites at Taloja, Shil Phata and Ambernath for the regional landfills.
MMRDA wants to start work at Taloja first. It plans to scientifically segregate garbage, treating it with chemicals and other material to ensure there is no odour. It will also generate compost, bio-fuel and solar power at the site.
The project will be implemented as a public-private partnership. The private developer will spend Rs 800 crore, while MMRDA will provide the viability gap funding the sum needed to make the project profitable.
The developer will run the site for 25 years and will be allowed to commercially exploit the compost created there.
MMRDA officials said seven municipal corporations and 13 municipal councils would dump garbage from their jurisdictions at the site.
The Mumbai civic body, however, declined to use the site as it has enough dumping space as of now. It could, however, use the site in the future.