Satara: Phaltan to show the way in waste management

In a recent meeting, Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar met a team of experts from the Pune-based Science and Technology Park (STP), which submitted a proposal in this regard.

The facility that will come up at Phaltan, located about 100 km from Pune, will offer “end-to-end solution of waste processing”, a technology developed by experts at STP. “The project is aimed at reclaiming the landfill sites in Satara.

While the main plant, a gasifier, will be set up in Phaltan, supporting infrastructure will be installed at the other municipal councils. We want to make Phaltan a model site in waste management for the state,” Rajendra Jagdale, director general, STP, told The Indian Express.

At the Phaltan plant, several gasifiers, each able to process 5 tonnes of waste per hour, will incinerate and process dry waste. There will be a bio-gasifier to process the wet waste. (It is estimated that 7 tonnes of biodegradable waste is generated in Phaltan alone daily).

Besides, the hot air generated by the gasifiers will be used to melt banned plastic waste, in turn providing petrol or diesel-grade fuel to operate the gasifiers, said Jagdale.

“It is estimated that about 80,0000 tonnes of waste needs to be treated and, at the present rate, we are hopeful of reclaiming the landfill sites in four years,” he said.

As 15 councils will only have plastic melting facility, other waste generated will be transported to the Phaltan facility.