No progress on much hyped Waste-to-Energy Plant in Srinagar

Despite NGT directions, no compliance

Srinagar, Dec 24: Despite clear directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued to J&K Government around five years ago, authorities in J&K have failed to start work on the first Waste-To-Energy (WtE) Plant at Achan, Saidpora Srinagar.

The project is aimed at for the scientific disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated daily in and around Srinagar.

The NGT while disposing off the petition on 12th December 2017 ordered for completion of the 5MW WtE Plant within 18 months.

But there is no construction activity going on at Achan site, though the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) allotted the contract to a consortium in December 2017 after the tender process.

An official said authorities concerned were yet to sign the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Project Proponent/Developer, which would directly and officially pave way for starting construction work at the site. 

However, the authorities without any delay have signed a Concessional Agreement for Waste-To-Compost (WtC) Plant at Kot Bhalwal at Jammu with National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), which is going to be functional now shortly.

Experts see the upcoming WtE Plant of great public importance; arguing Srinagar city generates about 500 (+) metric tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) every day and the WtE plant will be used for the scientific disposal of waste according to Municipal Solid Waste Rules of 2016 and energy generation. 

“The WtC Plant coming up in Jammu means ending a waste crisis to a larger extent and with the delay in execution of WtE Plant at Srinagar only means losing a race on scientific disposal of waste” said an expert.

Under Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode, the plant is to be designed, developed and managed by Syntech Bioenergy Pvt Ltd (SBPL) at a capital cost of around Rs. 200 Crore plus for a period of 25 years.

The entire cost is to be borne by the Project Developer/Proponent, who will earn from the generation of power once it is commissioned.

The project is proposed to end crisis of MSW in and around Srinagar city and to create a mechanism for the scientific disposal of waste at an affordable cost.

The J&K Power Corporation Limited (JKPCL) in September 2021, in its communication to the developer, has asked it to approach Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Tariff Adoption.

However, the Developer/Proponent is yet to receive the signed PPA from the H&UDD (Owner) and JKPCL (Buyer), without which petition for the tariff adoption cannot be filed before the JERC.

It is also learnt that the governing board of the JKPCL has already cleared the proposal for the signing.

“This is the only problem that has halted the entire project. Once the signed PPA is given to developer/proponent, the project will see day of the light,” said an official.

Kumail Ansari, Chairman (SBPL) confirmed that “Process is on but its taking a lot of time, which should have been completed by now, he further added that, this question should be asked to the SMC Commissioner as he is the tender issuer/nodal agency for the project or the Principal Secretary H&UDD who is the owner of the project, SBPL is the project developer and our job is to make the plant functional, the entire onus of formalities and paper work is on the SMC and H&UDD”.

He also expressed that “despite GoI’s immense outreach in Swachh Bharat Mission programme everywhere, the UT administration has failed in taking advantage of this scheme and the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modiji’s of Swachh Bharat have been only kept on papers and not on ground in reality by the concerned authorities here. Delays in the name of formalities and paper work have cost not only financial losses but mental harassment to us”. 

The National Green Tribunal had on 12 December 2017 ordered for completion of the 5-MW WtE Plant at Srinagar within 18 months after signing of the PPA. However, the pendency of the PPA with the project developer has put the progress at standstill as signing of PPA was first condition after which the stipulated timeframe set by the NGT had to begin.