ROURKELA: Safe disposal of household waste continues to be a cause for concern in Rourkela city, which lacks Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management facility. Five years back, the civic body and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) had decided to set up a solid waste management plant on RSP land, but the proposal is yet to make any headway.

In the absence of required land, the city administration approached the RSP in 2010 and the latter agreed to jointly set up the MSW plant on its land with private participation to cater to the needs of people under Rourkela Municipal Corporation (then Rourkela Municipality) limits and Rourkela Industrial Township (RIT) of RSP.

As per the plan, the plant would dispose 180 to 200 tonnes garbage collected by the civic body and about two MW electricity generated from the facility will be bought by the RSP. The civic body will pay the user fee for the purpose.

Last year, 10 acres of land was identified at Tarkera for the plant.

Regional Officer of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) Niranjan Mallick said the RSP authorities had recently informed that RSP would set up the facility at Tarkera at a cost of over `100 crore with private participation for use of people in RIT area.

Around 0.08 MW power would be produced using 70 tonnes domestic waste. He said the RSP’s proposal is pending with SAIL Board of Directors.

Rourkela ADM K Sudershan Chakravorty said the RSP is attributing the delay in setting up the plant to pending approval of SAIL.

“For feasibility of the plant, at least 200 tonnes of domestic waste is required every day but RMC areas are capable of generating 120 to 130 tonnes of garbage only,” he said.

Article source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Rourkela-Yet-to-Get-a-Solid-Waste-Management-Plant/2015/09/25/article3046333.ece1.