Waste processing plants on pause

The five towns where the SWM projects have hit a roadblock are Loni,Badaun,Basti,Firozabad and Jaunpur. The projects were to be developed under the Centre’s Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT).

Sources said that a Rs 10.63 crore project for Loni town in Ghaziabad district was approved in 2007. About 120 tonne waste is generated in Loni daily. About 10 acres was selected for the project,but the Hindon airfield authorities refused to give the no-objection certificate. “The land was about 9 km from the airfield,and setting up of such plants is prohibited within 10 km of an air base,” said an official.

D P Pal,sub-district magistrate of Ghaziabad,however,said he was not aware of the objections.

R K Gaur,technical adviser for construction and design services in UP Jal Nigam,said the Loni municipal body had been asked to identify another site so that the project can be started soon.

Official sources said that vehicles and machinery worth Rs 1 crore had already been purchased for collection and transportation of waste. The deadline for completion of the project,which has been awarded to A2Z Infrastructure,is December 12,2011.

Similarly,the Centre had approved a Rs 7.14 crore SWM project for Firozabad in 2006. The project requires 23 acres,which is yet to be acquired. However,Rs 1.53 crore has been spent already on procurement of machinery. The deadline for the project’s completion is September 2011.

In Jaunpur,12 acres was required,but only half has been arranged. “Even this land is not usable because it is divided into six parts. The district administration has sought permission from the government for getting 4.5 acres at another location,” said a Jal Nigam official. An amount of Rs 12.2 crore was approved in 2007 and its deadline is September 2011.

For the SWM project in Badaun,Rs 5.78 crore was sanctioned in 2006. Machinery has been procured at a cost of Rs 60 lakh,and 19 acres identified in Utarna village,but the government’s nod is awaited.

In Basti,Rs 5.86 crore was sanctioned for the SWM project,which requires 16 acres. “Land acquisition is pending at the level of the district administration. After clearance of land,a proposal will be sent for environment clearance,” said a Jal Nigam official. The deadline for this project is December 2011.