KARACHI: The PC-I drafted by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) to redesign the existing landfill site at Jam Chakro in the city on ‘scientific grounds’ aiming at using the garbage for generation of electricity has been approved by the competent authority, officials said on Monday.

“With the approval of the PC-I, the process to further the project aiming at generating energy through treatment [of waste] is going to begin,” said an official in the board.

SSWMB managing director A.D. Sajnani confirmed that the PC-I for the project had been approved by the competent authority.

He said the PC-I for scientific improvement of the landfill sites at Gond Pass and Jam Chakro showed an estimated cost of Rs1.1 billion and it required a year to complete after all the formalities, including the tendering process, got completed.

SSWMB wants to generate electricity from garbage

Similarly, he said, Rs1.07bn more would be required for the establishment of six garbage transfer stations (GTSs) in the city fully equipped to collect and transport it to the landfills with scientific compatibility.

Officials said the SSWMB ran the six GTSs in the city, which would be improved under the same project.

The provincial energy ministry would participate in the entire project, which has ambitious plans to generate 200MW electricity daily.

“For now,” said the board chief, “the research work and feasibility regarding the Jam Chakro site has been concluded.”

Dr Sajnani said the board had done demarcation of the landfill site.

“After the site is duly constructed on scientific grounds, the waste would be recycled in accordance with the international standards,” he said.

He said the waste generated in the city could produce more than 200MW of electricity.

“We have expedited our efforts for a separate feasibility for recycling the waste produced in the city.”

According to the landmark report of the judicial commission headed by SHC judge Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, submitted last year to the Supreme Court in a petition about the provision of clean drinking water and sanitation situation in Sindh, it is estimated that more than 12,000 tonnes of solid waste, which includes domestic, industrial and hospital waste, is being produced in Karachi.

It said that about 9,000 tonnes of solid waste was being produced in the areas under six district municipal corporations (DMCs), and the remaining 3,000 in the cantonments, etc.

“Despite such huge load, Karachi has no GTS. In visits of Karachi, the garbage was mostly found littered around the corners of the streets or dumped on makeshift locations/sites or was being burnt openly, generating injurious smoke around,” the report said.

Officials said that after the DMCs in Karachi South and East districts, another Chinese company had begun lifting waste in the DMC Malir limits.

They said the Chinese company involved in the Malir DMC had also been given a contract for similar operations in the DMC West. Besides, the required resolution by the council of the DMC Central had been passed and the same was being awaited from the DMC Korangi.

“We are waiting for DMC Korangi to pass the resolution. However, if it gets further delayed, we’ll go for international tendering for the operations to lift garbage in the limits of DMC Central,” said an official in the SSWMB.

Officials in the provincial government had earlier admitted that just 40 per cent garbage of the city was dumped in the landfill sites, and most of the remaining ended up in different drains or was burnt locally.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2018