PCMC to announce 12 land parcels for waste processing, one in each zone, to ease Moshi depot burden

Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is set to announce 12 land parcels, one in each administrative zone, for setting up waste processing facilities, nearly two months after the Moshi landfill collapse. Pimpri Chinchwad generates around 1,400-1,500 metric tonnes of waste daily. The Moshi waste depot is the city's only facility where waste generated across Pimpri Chinchwad is currently processed or dumped. PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said, 'We have identified 12 plots and will announce their locations this week after discussing with local corporators. Under the proposed model, waste will be processed within respective zones, instead of being transported to Moshi, reducing the pressure on a single facility and cutting down on the transportation of waste across the city. ' Spread over 81 acres, Moshi depot was shut following the July 8 landfill collapse, which resulted in casualties and severely disrupted waste management operations across the city. Thereafter, PCMC had announced that it would shift towards a decentralised model instead of setting up another centralised dumping facility, allowing waste generated in each area to be processed locally. 'Officials have spent around one-and-a-half months identifying reserved land across the city to be used for the proposed facilities. Of the 12 plots, six are relatively small and will be used only for dry waste processing. At least five to six private companies have approached us with proposals for setting up waste processing facilities. The presentations have been made and the process of preparing detailed project report and appointing consultants has also been initiated,' Suryawanshi said. The civic body has approached Khadki Cantonment Board seeking around 25 acres of land to set up another Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant. Currently it has only one WtE plant inside Moshi waste depot with a capacity to process 100 MT of daily waste. It has further had discussions with firms working on technologies such as waste-to-biogas to determine which systems can be deployed at the identified plots. But availability of adequate land remains a challenge, as some require larger plots. 'For instance, a Bio-CNG plant requires at least 10 acres of land, which is not readily available anywhere in the city,' Suryawanshi said. Furthermore, PCMC would no longer reserve land for dumping facilities. 'From now onwards, no land will be reserved for dumping facilities. Whatever land we identify will be used either as a transfer station or a waste processing facility, and neither will generate foul smell,' Suryawanshi added. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Download the TOI App.