HYDERABAD: After years of accumulating municipal waste, 13 urban local bodies (ULBs) across the state are set to reclaim their dumpsites. The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) has launched a bio-mining initiative to scientifically process about 78,000 tonnes of legacy waste and recover land for future public use.
The project aims to remediate and reclaim old municipal dumpsites in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Through bio-mining, accumulated waste will be scientifically excavated, segregated, processed and disposed of, while recyclable and reusable materials will be recovered and the reclaimed land returned to the respective ULBs.
The selected ULBs are Moinabad and Chevella in Rangareddy district; Jinnaram, Indresham, Kohir, Isnapur, Gummadidala and Gaddapotharam in Sangareddy district; Aswaraopeta in Bhadradri Kothagudem district; Edulapuram and Kalluru in Khammam district; Kesamudram in Mahbubabad district; and Bichkunda in Kamareddy district.
The project will be implemented under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model through agencies selected in two packages. It is scheduled for completion within four months, including one month for setting up bio-mining facilities and three months for processing the accumulated waste.
Selected agencies will establish processing plants at the dumpsites and carry out excavation, segregation, sieving and scientific treatment of the waste. Recovered materials will be recycled, reused, marketed or disposed of in accordance with applicable regulations, while the reclaimed land will be handed back to the concerned ULBs.
Officials said the agencies will also install the required machinery, temporary processing infrastructure, storage facilities and worker amenities, besides deploying adequate manpower and equipment to meet daily processing targets.
The bio-mining operations will be carried out in accordance with the Central Pollution Control Board’s February 2019 guidelines on legacy municipal solid waste remediation and other applicable environmental regulations. The ULBs will hand over the identified dumpsites to the selected agencies to facilitate the work.
To minimise environmental impacts during remediation, agencies will be required to implement measures to control dust, odour, leachate, flies, rodents, bird menace and fire hazards. They will also conduct periodic monitoring of groundwater, workplace air and ambient air quality through NABL-accredited laboratories and submit reports as mandated under statutory norms.