Ludhiana civil body mulls ‘waste-to-energy’ plant

Punjab seems to be moving towards managing its waste – whether agricultural or municipal – and taking utilizing them for the production of biofuels strengthening the sustainable development of its economy. In a key development, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has submitted a comprehensive project report to the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) in pursuit of a lasting solution to solid waste management.

The Ludhiana authority report outlines plans for a waste-to-energy plant, encompassing garbage processing, bioremediation of legacy waste, and a material recovery facility (MRF), all consolidated into a unified project.

Upon obtaining permission from PMIDC, the officials of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation will initiate the tendering process to engage a firm for implementation. Funding for the project is anticipated from the Swachh Bharat Mission of the Central Governmnet, with provisions for processing up to 600 tons of garbage daily at the proposed waste-to-energy plant.

Previous attempts to procure services for bioremediation of legacy waste and establishing a material recovery facility independently were unsuccessful, prompting their inclusion in the integrated project.

The plan involves transporting segregated waste of the colonies of Ludhiana to the dump, where wet waste will be processed before dry waste undergoes scientific treatment, potentially including recycling.

Moreover, the municipal corporation has engaged in the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 programme initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) for solid waste management. But, due to the loan nature of funds under this programme, the focus remains on securing grants from the Centre.

LMC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi believes that the urgency of resolving the city’s significant solid waste management challenges, highlighting the submission of the detailed project report to PMIDC as a crucial step towards this goal.