Ludhiana, Delhi to expedite development of bio-CNG projects

The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation is mulling to re-invite bids for the development of a bio-compressed natural gas or bio-CNG plant at the city’s main landfill site. The tender will be reissued for the same as the contractor, who had committed to paying ₹132 crore over 20 years, withdrew from the agreement.

This has caused inevitable delay in the process towards the bio-CNG plant and the corporation will forfeit the earnest money deposit of the contractor and also blacklist it.

The 200-ton-per-day capacity bio-CNG plant was planned for seven acres of land along Tajpur Road, with the contractor responsible for waste disposal and paying ₹132 crore as land lease or royalty over two decades. The bio-CNG plant is expected to process waste and produce 8,000 cubic meters of gas daily, which the contractor planned to sell for revenue generation.

Ludhiana is both a dense residential and also an industrial city. The city corporation continues to face significant challenges in managing the approximately 1,100 tonnes of waste generated on an everyday basis.

Efforts to establish the bio-CNG plant have been ongoing for some time, and the re-tendering will further delay the project’s progress. Punjab has been facing the challenges with proper disposal of solid waste, mainly biodegradable waste, for several decades now.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently imposed multiple fines on Punjab’s municipal corporations, councils, and panchayats for failing to manage solid waste properly. Penalties levied on Ludhiana municipal corporation has been highest.

Delhi civic body too mulling fresh bio-CNG tender

In a similar move, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is also working to expedite the development of its waste-to-energy (WtE) project in the Narela area. As per reports, the MCD has requested financial authority for the commissioner from the Delhi government. Recently, the Supreme Court directed the Union environment ministry secretary to meet with the MCD commissioner and other officials to address the concerning state of solid waste management in the national capital.