MARGAO
A joint inspection of the 10-TPD gasification plant at the Sonsodo waste treatment facility on Monday has raised fresh questions over the functioning of the Rs 7.5-crore project, particularly after ash generated by the plant was found mixed with unburnt waste such as plastic, paper and other materials.
The inspection, attended by officials of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) comprising of Administrator Srinet Kothwale and Chief Officer Madhu Narvekar and Directors of Pune-based G D Environmental Pvt. Ltd., focused on the performance of the gasification plant, which was commissioned in April this year.
During the inspection, media personnel questioned the company over the presence of plastic, paper and other combustible materials in the ash discharged from the plant, prompting concerns about the efficiency of the waste treatment process.
Responding to the queries, the Directors of G D Environmental Pvt. Ltd. attributed the issue to the supply of mixed and unsegregated waste by the Margao Municipal Council. They maintained that the gasification technology was functioning according to design specifications and argued that the quality of waste being fed into the plant had a direct bearing on its performance.
"We process the waste that is supplied by the MMC. The waste we receive is completely mixed and contains plastic, paper, thermocol, glass, earthen pots, sand and several other materials. If some of these materials are found along with the ash after processing, it indicates that mixed waste is entering the plant," the company representatives said.
The Directors explained that non-combustible materials such as glass, thermocol, earthen pots and sand are not intended to be treated through the gasification process and are expected to remain after processing. According to them, these materials can subsequently be segregated and sent for recycling or appropriate disposal by the municipal authorities.
When asked why even combustible materials such as plastic and paper were seen mixed with the ash, the company clarified that such material had not been discarded as final waste and would be fed back into the plant for another cycle of processing.
"The treated waste is still lying inside the shed. If a portion of the ash contains plastic or any other combustible waste, it will be put back into the gasification plant. We have neither disposed of nor dumped this material outside the premises," the Directors said, while rejecting suggestions that the plant was failing to process waste effectively.
The joint inspection was convened by MMC Administrator Srinet Kothwale following concerns raised by former Margao Municipal Council Chairperson Savio Coutinho over the functioning of the gasification plant.
Meanwhile, the company has started manufacturing bricks with the ash generated by the plant. The MMC is mandated to supply cement and sand to the company to manufacture the bricks.
