THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Separate plants for Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and leachate treatment and a ‘green belt’ feature in a Rs 24.56 crore masterplan is being charted by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for developing the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant.
Mayor C.Jayan Babu told a news conference here on Saturday that the Corporation has invited bids for the Rs 1.73-crore RDF Plant and the Rs 2-crore Leachate Treatment Plant. Estimates of the rest of the works which include infrastructure development like roads and land acquisition are being worked out, he said.
The project is included in the Solid Waste Management component of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The masterplan also envisages land acquisition, construction of borewells, roads, compound walls and fencing.
Till April 1, 2008, the plant - 18 kilometres away from Thiruvananthapuram - was being run by POABS Envirotech. Since then, the Corporation took over it and is currently run through the Centre for Environment and Development, a government-approved agency.
‘’The aim is to make the Vilappilsala plant a model waste treatment centre for the entire country. A five-tonne biogas plant, a pilot project of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, is also being set up at the plant,’’ Jayan Babu said.
He said that the second phase of capping at the plant can be completed by April 30, next year, if the weather remains conducive. COSTFORD is carrying out the capping work.