MoU signed worth Rs. 470 crores.
By Sreejith Vallikunnu
The Karnataka government seems to have found a lasting solution for Bangaluru’s increasing garbage problem as the government with the help of Netherlands is planning to scientifically sweep the garbage of the street of the capital city.
The state government of Karnataka signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Netherlands government for a waste-to-energy technology project with an investment of Rs 470 crore, reported The Times of India.
The project was finalized at a meeting between Netherlands’ ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The project is expected to dispose of 600 metric tonne garbage generated in the city.
Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said, “The MoU is for the waste management of Bengaluru. The project is going to yield 7 MW of power every day. The power generated from the waste management will be purchased by the state government as per the rates fixed by KERC.”
Bengaluru development minister K.J. George said that the project will be taken up on a pilot basis. If the pilot project is proved successful, the waste-to-energy project will be introduced in other parts of the city and the state, he added. The state has already proposed two to three locations for the pilot project on the outskirts of the city.
“This time, the disposal will be odourless and will have been completely processed. The unit will accept mixed garbage for the time being, and it will be segregated at the unit for conversion of the organic garbage into power,” George added.
Stoelinga said that the Dutch government will be providing an odourless technology which will dispose waste and there will be no remnants of garbage after the conversion of waste to power. Their calculation is that 60% of the waste generated in Bengaluru is organic and can be converted to biomass. The biomass, once processed, can generate 7 MW of power.
As per the MOU, the Netherland government will provide 70% of the funding as soft loan, along with the technology. The rest 30% will have to be funded by the company which will participate in a tender process to initiate the project and set it up.