Coming up, solid waste management project in Pilkhuwa-09/10/2010

By Lalmani Verma, 09/10/2010

Coming up, solid waste management project in Pilkhuwa

The state government is on its way to implement a solid waste management project in Pilkhuwa — the third satellite town of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh — under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). Faizabad and Ayodhya are other two municipal areas where such a project have been proposed.

According to officials of the Jal Nigam — the nodal agency for the project — the state Project Financing and Appraisal department has approved the project for Pilkhuwa, Ayodhya and Faizabad. Under the project, a single private firm will handle the entire solid waste management of a city — from door-to-door collection to the formation of bio-fertilisers and disposal at the landfill site.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Pilkhuwa has been referred to the Centre for its approval. The DPR of Faizabad and Ayodhya will be sent to the Centre very soon for its consideration. While the estimated cost of the project in Pilkhuwa is Rs 16 crore, it is Rs 15 crore for Ayodhya and Faizabad. Land has already been identified in these towns to set up the processing plant and landfill site, said a source.

Under UIDSSMT, while the Centre will fund 80 per cent of the project, the Uttar Pradesh government and the urban local body will each pay 10 per cent of the cost in these towns.

"After approval by the Centre, the bidding process will begin to select a private operator," said R K Gaur, Technical Adviser, Construction and Design Services of Jal Nigam.

Also known as the textile city, Pilkhuwa generates around 40 tonne solid waste every day. According to officials, the importance of Pilkhuwa increased after it was chosen to be developed as a satellite town of Delhi. Ghaziabad and Noida are other two satellite towns of Delhi from UP.

At present, the solid waste management project is under implementation in 26 cities in the state. The project is being undertaken in seven major cities under JNNURM. In the other 19 cities, it is being implemented under UIDSSMT. In seven of these cities, including Lucknow and Meerut, the project has been stuck because land has not been provided to private operators. In other towns, the project is under implementation.


IndianExpress