VIJAYAWADA: The State government has decided to establish waste to compost and waste to vermi compost plants as part of its initiative to ensure effective solid waste management. In urban areas of the State, about 6,550 tonnes of solid waste is generated on a daily basis, according to Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) officials.
The plan was to use 70 per cent of the generated waste as fuel for power generation. Though 10 waste to energy plants were planned and contracts awarded to private players in the past, they were dropped as lending agencies found them commercially unviable.
“When the firms which planned to setup 5MW or smaller plants went for loans, lending agencies were not convinced with the technology and failed to see its commercial viability. So, they were dropped. Now, we are going for waste to compost/vermi compost in the 110 urban local bodies (ULBs) where waste to energy plant is not possible. Land is being allotted to the players,” a senior APPCB official said. APPCB is responsible for authorising operators and urban local bodies for operating any kind of waste processing units.