Can waste be turned into a prospect? The Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBMU) and Government of Assam have joined hands to do so.
On September 4, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated a comprehensive waste management project in North Lakhimpur which aims to convert solid waste into compost and facilitate recycling processes. This is the first of many such projects mooted by the SBMU and the Government to streamline the waste management process. In due course, it will be carried out in other towns and cities of the State.
Inaugurating the project in Lakhimpur, the Chief Minister took to social media to mention that it was a strong reflection of a positive change. The project in Lakhimpur will be able to handle 25 tonnes of solid waste every day as well as 100 tonnes of recyclable waste per day through Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
Earlier on July 27, the Chief Minister posted in X, “We have undertaken a comprehensive exercise to manage our solid waste in urban areas. A total of 48 waste management units are coming up across Assam and work on 18 of them is progressing swiftly. Once completed, it will go a long way towards our goal of Swachh Assam.”
In addition to Lakhimpur, another project in Nalbari is currently operational. The project in Nalbari has the capacity of composting 10 tonnes of solid waste every day and managing 10 tonnes of recyclable waste. Many smaller projects are already operational in the capital city of Guwahati besides other places of Assam. An MRF-plant with a capacity of 100 tonnes per day in Guwahati is expected to commence operations from November.
Under the Model Ward Initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban, 6,800 compost pits have been set up, with the involvement of 82 volunteer organisations and 398 self-help groups, alongside 677 informal waste collectors.
Tapas Jyoti Kalita, the Executive Officer of the North Lakhimpur project, speaking to Asom Barta,said, “We are managing the MRF and the compost production process using scientific methods, which are semi-automatic. After initial manual segregation, the waste is processed mechanically in a trommel machine. Even after that, source segregation remains a challenge. The North Lakhimpur Municipal Board is pro-actively working to create awareness on the subject.”
Kalita also informed this newsletter that North Lakhimpur has successfully processed its legacy waste which contributed towards reclaiming of approximately 16 bighas of land, making it the first district in Assam to achieve such a feat.
Assam, as on today, generates 1338 tonnes of waste on a daily basis, of which 272 tonnes is plastic waste. According to SBMU, over 1,231 tonnes of waste is collected daily, with 791.5 tonnes being processed per day.
Currently, efforts are underway to manage 469.33 tonnes of waste daily across 29 local urban bodies (ULBs), with construction ongoing in 24 more ULBs.
Focussing on Biogas production, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Swachh Bharat Urban 2.0 & Indian Oil Corporation/NRL for setting up biogas generation plants in Guwahati (capacity of 75 tonnes per day), Sivasagar (60 tonnes per day), Tinsukia (50 tonnes per day), Jorhat (60 tonnes per day) & Silchar (60 tonnes).
Interacting with this reporter, Nayanjyoti Bhagwati, Managing Director, SBMU said “Assam’s urban transformation is deeply rooted and we are committed to scientifically manage waste and maximise value from waste. By turning dry and wet waste into resources, we are not only creating cleaner towns and cities but also empowering communities through sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable sections, especially women. Our efforts in solid waste management in all 96 urban local bodies in Assam are a testament to our Chief Minister’s vision of development where waste is no longer seen as a burden but as an opportunity for growth and innovation.”
