NEW PLANT OFFERS SOLUTION TO KOCHI'S WASTE MENACE

KITCO prepares project report on Brahmapuram plant

City residents need not bother to segregate waste generated at their homes when the new waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram becomes operational.

Going by the project report of the plant prepared by Kerala Industrial and Technology Consultancy Organisation (KITCO), all sorts of municipal waste, including plastic refuse and wood, would go into the plant to generate power. The local body can also end the practice of engaging its workers to segregate the waste into bio-degradable and non-degradable ones before packing them off to the plant. It would save the amount being spent for providing plastic buckets to the residents for segregated collection of waste. This year, the local body would spend around Rs.1.5 crore for the purchase of buckets, said T.K. Ashraf, the chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

The new plant is also expected to solve the management of plastic refuse as it can be fed into the plant. At present, the local body has no definite plans to manage the waste. Refuse collected along with domestic waste are being piled up at a yard in the Brahmapuram plant site. The Kochi Corporation had earlier resorted to sanitary landfill using the plastic refuse that had piled up at the site. A fire that broke out at the plastic waste dumping area had raised serious criticisms against the improper management of the waste.

At the new plant, plastic waste would be burned at high temperature at controlled conditions to avoid generation of toxic gas. The new plant would have an installed capacity to process 300 tonnes a day. An understanding has been reportedly reached at the government level that the Kerala State Electricity Board would purchase power produced from the plant. The Board may buy power at the rate of Rs.5 per unit, said an official who was involved in the preparation of the project report.

Besides producing power, the company that will be selected for establishing the plant will be legally bound to develop and market products from the residue of the waste production. The residue including fly ash could be converted into bricks and other products. Small units to manufacture such products too can be set up at the plant site. The Kochi Corporation can decide on the processing fee for waste brought to its plant site from the neighbouring local bodies.

Pre-bid documents regarding the new plant would be published shortly. The details will be made available at the website of the Kochi Corporation that would be inviting bids for the establishment of the new plant, the official said.