The much-needed project to generate electricity through solid wastes which was initiated with much enthusiasm by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) in association with MSW-Essel Infrastructure is yet to see the light of day.
The solid waste to power plant project in Jhiri involving a whopping cost of Rs. 200 crore for approximately 25 years has been left in complete muddle. The incomplete structure has been lying defunct since long.
The Jhiri Power Plant project initiated a while ago is likely to cross its completion deadline as Essel Infra handling the project is finding tough to work in accordance with RMC’s contract clauses. According to the insiders, if the project is not initiated at the earliest, the existing civil structure will get ruptured soon. The ongoing tussle between the Municipal Corporation and Essel Infra is the prime cause of the delay.
Senior Manager of Essel Infra, Om Kishore said that due to financial constraints including the termination issue, they are finding it hard to take the project forward. The project was initiated on October 4, 2016 and was expected to get over in November 2018. Meanwhile, due to the substandard performance of the company roped in for streamlining the solid waste management setup here in Ranchi, the company was served the termination letter in October 2017.
When inquired about the status of the waste to energy plant project established on 12 acres of land at Jhiri, approximately 15 Km away from the State headquarter, Kishore said that by far it is highly difficult to carry out any kind of work there; hence the project has been shelved for some time. Despite several attempts in the past, neither the Municipal Corporation nor the company could figure out a way for its functioning.
Blaming the civic body for the delay, Kishore who met Municipal Commissioner, Dr Shantanu Kumar Agrahari along with his team on January 16, 2018 said that regardless of attempting hard to convince the RMC officials, none of them paid heed to the matter.
“After improving our services on eight parameters out of 14 parameters that earlier where the main causes for terminating the company, the Municipal Corporation has merely given a month long time to us. We have asked the RMC to revoke the termination for hassle free functioning but considering the approach of RMC, they are not ready to give us the extension,” said Kishore.
“Earlier regardless of termination, the company tried to convince several big lenders/companies who could invest in the project but none of them agreed. Risk coverage, equity shares, debts involved in running power plant, there are several factors which is creating trouble in making co-ordination for taking the project ahead,” added Kishore.
Meanwhile, an official from RMC on anonymity said that keeping all the issues aside constant reminders were send to the company to speed-up the work while improving its quality but nothing was done from Essel Infra’s side, nothing can be done on this until this company has the charge of the power plant project.