Due to the oppositions being faced by various industry experts, Planning Commission has set up a task force to assess the technology of Waste to Energy Projects.
In the projects which are constructed in various areas such as Vijayawada, Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow etc, issues related to low calorific value, poor segregation, lack of financial viability and opposition from local people are being faced.
Some of the observations from various Industry Experts are:
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Technology options for disposal of solid waste should be critically evaluated first before putting up the projects.
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It is also important to analyze technologies in the social setting, the technology should be able to solve the waste problem and at the same time, should not affect the livelihood of the waste pickers.
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As these plants emit a lot of toxins, a regulatory control framework has to be in place.
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Segregation of waste is critical; different waste fields for the wastes like plastic, medical syringes and wet waster should be there.
An expert committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal recently found that a waste-to-energy plant operating at Okhla in Delhi received waste that was not sufficiently segregated and emitted particulate matter, dioxins and furans far in excess of permissible limits.
As said by the Government,
“India tosses out several thousand tonnes of garbage each day; We will evolve a scheme to encourage cities and municipalities to take up waste-to-energy projects in PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode which would be neutral to different technologies.”
The government is yet to determine whether there is suitable technology that can efficiently utilize waste generated by Indian cities.
More literature on this...
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/l8lFHMbumplAHmQCgAdICP/Govts-plan-to-convert-waste-into-energy-comes-under-critici.html
