BBMP plans to set up leachate processing plants at Chikkanagamangala and other locations.
Story so far: The BBMP intends to install leachate processing plants in conjunction with the Municipal Solid Waste Plants (MSW) to address leachate leakage in waste processing plants. The move comes after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a joint committee last year to address the issue and directed the BBMP to comply with its regulations.
- The project will be completed in six months and cost the Palike around ₹10 crore. The BBMP floated a tender for installing 20 KLD leachate processing units.
- Experts qualify this as a good move if the machines meet industry standards. According to Ram Prasad, a Waste Management Expert, the monitoring data of leachate processing plants should be made available in the public domain.
Why this matters? The BBMP has been in a bind due to leakages in its waste processing units and citizens’ protest against suspected groundwater pollution. In Chikkanagamgala, for instance, leachate was leaking into a stormwater drain connected to a pond nearby. Last year, the MSW plant generated 36 KL of leachate every day.
(Image credits: Kailas K Pillai’s Twitter post)