Jamia,TERI come up with new system to turn waste into energy

Supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),the report says the project will help in reducing the risk of uncontrolled methane emissions from the landfill,a potential green house gas.

The demonstration was conducted at the Okhla landfill,spreading over 16.2 hectares and comprising biodegradable waste,non-biodegradable waste,recyclables,silt,construction demolition waste,and biomedical waste.

“With rapid urbanization,areas under landfill are expanding rapidly,thus compounding the environmental challenge we face. The development of such technologies provides sustainable solutions for dealing with this serious problem,” Dr R K Pachauri,director general of TERI,said.

The Okhla site neither has a landfill gas collection system nor a leachate collection and treatment system. “Such waste disposal sites close to residential areas need urgent attention to address the issue of methane emission,” Najeeb Jung,vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia,said.

According to the MCD,about 1,600 tonnes of municipal waste is being deposited at the Okhla landfill site per day. About 90 per cent of the landfill is covered with waste,with an average height of about 27 metres above ground level. The landfill does not have a system to manage surface water drainage,which results in rain water flowing directly into the adjoining surface water drains.

Titled ‘Demonstration of Clean Technology for Landfill Gas Recovery from the Okhla Waste Disposal site’,the study recommends that the Ministry of Urban Development work with state governments to build their capacity in order to implement LFG to energy recovery projects.

It also suggests that the MoEF and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy work together to develop the incentives required to promote the use of LFG as renewable energy from landfills.