Pune: PCMC plans 12 zone-wise waste-processing facilities

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) plans to establish decentralised waste-processing facilities across the city, with 12 land parcels identified for the purpose, one in each administrative zone.

The civic body is expected to announce the locations this week after discussions with local corporators.

PCMC generates around 1,400-1,500 metric tonnes of waste every day. The Moshi waste depot has been the city’s only facility where waste generated across Pimpri-Chinchwad is currently processed or dumped.

The shift towards decentralised processing follows the July 8 collapse at the Moshi landfill, which resulted in casualties and severely disrupted waste-management operations.

PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi said the new system would reduce pressure on the Moshi facility and cut the movement of waste across the city.

“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,” Suryawanshi said.

Officials spent around one and a half months identifying reserved land that could be used for the proposed facilities.

Of the 12 plots, six are relatively small and will be used only for dry-waste processing. Around five to six private companies have approached PCMC with proposals for 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.

PCMC has also approached the Khadki Cantonment Board seeking around 25 acres of land for another Waste-to-Energy plant.

At present, PCMC has only one Waste-to-Energy plant inside the Moshi depot, with capacity to process 100 metric tonnes of waste a day.

The civic body is also examining technologies such as waste-to-biogas to determine what facilities can be deployed on the identified plots. However, land availability remains a constraint for larger facilities.

“For instance, a Bio-CNG plant requires at least 10 acres of land, which is not readily available anywhere in the city,” Suryawanshi said.

PCMC also intends to stop reserving 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.

The proposed decentralised system is intended to distribute waste processing across the city rather than relying on a single large facility at Moshi.