GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) for Power from Waste
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) Commissioner Debeswar Malakar has said that solid waste is not a liability, but an asset.
Talking to the media here on Monday, Malakar gave a detailed account as to how the problem of dumping garbage in Guwahati can be solved. According to him, this is a common problem in most of the metropolitan cities in the country. “We did write to the State Revenue department seeking 50 bighas of land for the disposal of garbage, but we haven’t got land as yet. The problem lies in the fact that everywhere there are water bodies. Protests from the local populace are always there. We also have taken up the matter with the Kamrup district administration,” Malakar said and added: “Now we’re laying stress on solid waste management. We’re planning to generate power from waste. We’ve already called tenders. Guwahati produces around 500 tonnes of garbage every day. However, the capacity of the solid waste management plant at Boragaon is just ten tonnes. We’re laying stress on segregation of wastes. To make that happen, we need an attitudinal change. Already 58 NGOs have been collecting garbage from Guwahati. They’re collecting garbage door-to-door. If they don’t to their job regularly, we’ve met in the form of flying squad deployed behind them, and for other purposes. Flying squads will go for random checking of garbage collection. If any leave outhouses without collecting garbage, it will have cut in payment for those houses.”
Malakar further said: “We’re also contemplating on making industries and factories for compulsory installation of their own solid waste management plants.”