Patna’s Journey Towards Better Waste Management

Understanding the Waste Challenge

Patna’s streets are clean, but the city faces a big waste problem. The main issue is at the Ramachak Bairiya landfill site.

The Current Situation

The landfill site is full. It has over 12 lakh metric tonnes of garbage. There is no waste-to-energy plant or other needed infrastructure.

Drone Survey Findings

A recent drone survey found 12,23,311 metric tonnes of waste. Even with bio-remediation and biomining efforts, waste remains a big issue.

Efforts by the Patna Municipal Corporation

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is working hard. They have hired two agencies to help:

• NACOF: This company is biomining old waste, about 3.8 lakh metric tonnes.
• ECOSTAN: This agency is taking care of new waste.

Waste in Patna

Patna has about five lakh households. The city makes between 680 and 1,200 tonnes of waste every day. By 2030, this could rise to 1,537 tonnes per day.

Progress and Future Plans

Animesh Kumar Parashar, the municipal commissioner, talks about the progress made in the last two years:

• 20 acres of land have been cleared of old waste.
• A boundary wall has been built around the landfill site.
• CCTV cameras and lights have been put up for better monitoring and security.

How Waste is Treated

Waste treatment at the site has three main steps:

• Trommel Screening: This is where garbage is sorted.
• Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) Processing: Waste is turned into a usable fuel source.
• Composting: Organic matter is processed.

Waste Management Infrastructure

The PMC has several facilities for waste management:

• Five bio-remediation plants.
• Trommel screens.
• Biomining equipment.
• Around 15 compost pits.

Looking Ahead

The state government has a plan. They want to make an integrated solid waste management project. This will be a public-private partnership (PPP) and will cover Patna and nearby areas.

New Garbage Transfer Stations

Six new garbage transfer stations are being built in Patna. The total cost is about Rs 53 crore. Work has started at Yarpur and near Panki Tanki.

Upgrading Waste Management

The urban development and housing department has a Rs 514 crore plan. They want to upgrade solid waste management. This includes six new processing and disposal facilities at Ramachak Bairiya. These can handle 1,600 tonnes of waste daily.

New Facilities

The new facilities will include:

• A waste-to-energy plant that can make up to 15 megawatts of electricity.
• A biomethanation plant that can handle 100 tonnes per day.
• A material recovery facility that can handle 250 tonnes per day.
• Another MRF plant that can handle 50 tonnes per day.
• A composting unit that can handle 700 tonnes per day.
• A sanitary landfill that can handle 325 tonnes per day.

Conclusion

Animesh Kumar Parashar believes these plans will make a big difference. Waste-to-energy plants are being built all over India, including Patna. These efforts will help reduce the city’s carbon footprint and improve life for its people.