MAPUSA
The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) will gradually resume waste acceptance at the Saligao Solid Waste Management Facility (SWMF) from November 6, following the completion of urgent repairs to its malfunctioning biodigester, which had disrupted operations at the plant for nearly 25 days.
The corporation has drawn up a phased restoration plan to increase wet waste processing from the existing restricted intake of 100 tonnes per day (TPD) to the plant's designed capacity of 150 TPD by November 15.
GWMC managing director Harish Adconkar said the maintenance work on the biodigester had been completed and the plant operator, Hindustan Waste Treatment Pvt Ltd (HWTPL), would begin batch-wise feeding from Friday.
Under the restoration plan, waste acceptance from the six affected village panchayats and two municipal councils will be resumed in phases, with two village panchayats being brought back into the system every two days.
The corporation will also progressively increase the daily wet waste intake by 10 tonnes every two days, subject to the biodigester stabilising and performing satisfactorily at each stage.
According to the schedule released by GWMC, the intake will be increased to 110 TPD on November 7, 120 TPD on November 9, 130 TPD on November 11 and 140 TPD on November 13, before reaching the full capacity of 150 TPD from November 15.
The phased approach is intended to prevent any further operational stress on the biodigester while allowing the facility to gradually stabilise its functioning and maintain continuity in biogas generation.
The temporary restriction had been imposed to facilitate essential maintenance and corrective works after the biodigester developed operational problems, forcing the corporation to regulate the quantity of wet waste received at the Saligao facility.
The disruption had affected waste disposal arrangements for six village panchayats and two municipalities, which had to make alternative arrangements for handling their garbage during the period.
GWMC said the gradual restoration would allow the corporation and the plant operator to monitor the biodigester's performance and ensure the long-term reliability of the facility.
The corporation has also appealed to the local bodies, waste collection agencies and the public to continue extending cooperation during the phased restoration of normal operations.
