India's biggest solid waste management at Guwahati

Guwahati, Feb 1 (UNI) The Urban Development Ministry has sanctioned country's largest solid waste management project worth Rs 52.97 crore for the city.

Addressing a news conference, Guwahati Development Department Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said they had hired consultant from an Israeli company Tahal to prepare the detailed project report for 1700 crore sewerage, water and drain management projects.

About the solid waste management, he said the project envisaged collection and transportation of waste, their treatment and finally disposal of the product through market interventions.

In case of composting, the product would be sold off to potential buyers while in case of waste to energy concept, the electricity generated would be used by dedicated users, he said adding the project had been designed for a total 20 years with introduction of an additional 300 TPD capacity plant in the 11th year.

He asserted that project would be commissioned in next two years time as Guwahati Municipal Corporation had already acquired 180 bighas of land required to set up waste treatment plant.

The Asom government had also embarked upon an ambitious project worth Rs 29.87 crore to build a ropeway over river Brahmaputra as an alternative mode of transportation between Guwahati and North Guwahati.

Referring the movement of at least 3000 commuters through ferryboats everyday from North Guwahati, the minister said that proposed ropeway would have the capacity of ferrying 250 persons every hour.

Mr Sarma who was optimistic to start the work on the project by March this year said that following the advise of RITES a government of India undertaking they have appointed a Swiss ropeway company to prepare the detailed project report. He said that this would help in easing out the pressure of traffic on Guwahati city.

The Guwahati Municipal Development Authority would act as implementing agency of all these projects.

UNI