Power from garbage part of clean Kanpur project

Under the ambitious project,the construction of a 12 MW power plant and a fertiliser manufacturing plant has already been completed on a 46-hectare land in Panki Bhau Singh Kheda area.

From the 1,600 tonnes of garbage littered in the city every day,the Kanpur Nagar Nigam (KNN),the nodal agency for the project,aims to generate 12 MW and manufacture fertilisers. Both the projects are expected to start in the next two years. A sum of Rs 56.48 crore has already been approved for the project.

Municipal Commissioner,Rajiv Sharma,said: “For the project,20 new garbage litter centres are being constructed in prominent areas of the city.”

The construction work of the garbage litter centres is expected to be completed in the next six months. The garbage collected from the litter centres will be taken to Panki Bhau Singh Kheda.

After segregation and recycling,the garbage will be used for preparing fertiliser and generating electricity. While KNN has roped in a Noida-based private company,A 2 Z Infrastructure Company,for manufacturing fertiliser,the search is still on for a private company for the generation of electricity through dumped garbage. Satisfied with the trial run of the fertiliser unit,the KNN officials are optimistic of starting the project on a large-scale in the next two years.

“We are confident that around 20,000 kg fertiliser can be manufactured each day from the garbage,” said Sharma. According to a KNN official,the 12 MW power generated at the plant could provide electricity to 5,000 residential buildings.  

According to Sharma,though both the plants have been set up,there are several issues which are yet to be sorted out. A major challenge before the KNN is the door-to-door collection of garbage and removal of 1,600 tonnes of garbage each day.

In November 2007,KNN had started a door-to-door garbage collection campaign in 11 city wards. Due to the poor response,the project failed to derive the desired results. “This time we have been more cautious with our approach,and if things work out in the desired manner,the city will have a completely different look in the next 24 months,” he added.

In the past,KNN’s efforts to remove the entire littered garbage from city areas proved to be futile due to shortage of manpower,resources and finance.

On an average,KNN barely manages to remove 1,400 tonnes of garbage every day. leaving behind 200 tonnes in various parts of the city.

Against the requirement of 12,000 safai karamcharis,KNN has only 5,700 to cover the industrial city spread across 1,300 square kilometres.

Of the 128 vehicles used by the KNN for garbage disposal,more than 30 per cent are lying damaged in the departmental workshop.