RMC, Essel join hands for solid waste management in capital

Moving ahead in its ambitious solid waste management project, Ranchi Municipal Corporation handed over a ‘letter of Intent’ regarding the initiative to Essel Infraprojects limited on Saturday. Begining operations in two-and-a-half years, the Mumbai-based company will begin garbage collection within six months and set up a ‘garbage-to-electricity’ power plant in Jhiri.

Now, three companies, led by Essel Infraprojects limited and including Essel Utility and Hitachi Zosen, will form Special Purpose Company. RMC will enter into agreement for the project with this SPC. After finalising the contract, this joint venture of the three companies will form a DPR after consulting the ward councillors.

“We will be setting up a door-to-door network for garbage collection, transportation for the collected garbage and then facility for its disposal.Regarding disposal, a plant for generating electricity by incinerating the collected refuse will be erected in near dumping grounds in Jhiri with production capacity of 11.5 MW,” informed Essel Infraprojects General Manager Partha Pratim.

A part of the generated power is to be consumed in-house and the rest will be marketed by the company for revenue. Apart from this, the urban body will be paying its private partner tipping fees to the tune of `1950 for every metric tonne of garbage collected.The entire project is to be worth 77 crore rupees, 60 

per cent of which will be paid by RMC, informed Municipal Commissioner Prashant Kumar.

Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Vijaywargia while addressing the gathered ward councillors, said that the ward councillors should assist the company in understanding the city and keep a keen eye on their functions to avoid the failures of past.“Unclean Ranchi presents the entire state in a bad light. But, garbage strewn streets are because of people who dump their own rubbish at others doorsteps. This mindset has to be changed first. Apart from that, Essel Infra should begin garbage collection as early as possible and not wait for the designated six months timeframe,” said urban development minister CP Singh.He also emphasised that the use of technology should not be for the sake of it but to get concrete results.