Rs.48 Cr worth waste management facility commissioned in Kohima

Our Correspondent KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 11 A state-of-the-art urban Solid Waste Management (SWM) facility at Lerie, about two kilometres away from Kohima town, was inaugurated and commissioned today by the Chief Minister TR Zeliang. The project, reported to have cost a whooping Rs.48.04 crores, was taken up as part of the North Eastern Region Capital Development Investment Program (NERCDIP) through the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), implemented by the State Investment Program Management and Implementation Unit (SIPMIU) and financially aided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The facility consists of a compost plant with a capacity of processing 50 tons of organic wastes per day, and a landfill which is designed for a period of 20-25 years to accommodate 32,000 m3 of wastes. It was informed that wet waste such as food waste, agricultural waste and other organic wastes etc. will be processed and converted into compost, which in turn can be used as manure, while the non-compostable wastes will be disposed in the landfill. The SWM facility is considered to be a first of its kind in the northeast region and the plant is designed to be sustainable. The Chief Minister said with the commissioning of the first ever facility for urban solid waste management in the state today, a new chapter in the history of urban sanitation and waste management has started. He pointed out that till today the wastes generated in Kohima are openly dumped in a hill slope near the city, creating serious environmental and health hazards for the people of the locality. However he expressed enthusiasm that the new SWM facility has been constructed for scientific and hygienic handling and disposal of garbage of the city. He extended appreciation to the ADB for funding this important pioneering project in Nagaland and also hoped that it would continue to come forward to fund other infrastructural, development and livelihood projects in the state. Zeliang said while the newly inaugurated modern facility is expected to handle the garbage of Kohima city for the next 20-25 years, the important thing is efficient and timely collection of municipal wastes from the households and market places where wastes are generated everyday. Currently, the collection of garbage from street dumps by the municipal body is not being done in a systematic manner and rotting garbage in the street dumps which are visible everywhere, not only poses health hazards but also projects a bad image for the state, he lamented. Towards this, he strongly urged the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) to make serious efforts to improve the waste collection system so that the new SWM facility is put to good use. If managed efficiently, the facility will also be our contribution towards the Swachh Bharat programme, he asserted. While lauding the efforts of all the departments and entities in seeing the project through, the Chief Minister also made a fervent appeal to the people of Nagaland to adopt cleanliness as a habit and way of life so that it becomes part of their lifestyle and improve public health. In his address, adviser for Urban Development, SI Jamir acknowledged that the contractor Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. Hyderabad has been able to complete the project by having tied up with the right local associates. He said Kohima has been fortunate to get selected as one of the capital cities for development of urban infrastructure in water supply, solid waste management, sewage and sanitation sector with assistance from ADB. Stating that the SWM project is designed with an operation and maintenance period of 3 years with the contractor Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd., the legislator called upon the KMC to be fully engaged with the contractors during the stipulated period. He also underscored the necessity for segregation of wastes at source so as to fully optimise the use of the facility and called for public cooperation with the municipal body towards this. Delivering a technical report of the project, SIPMIU additional program director, Krosu Rhetso highlighted the major components of the contract package for the setting up of the SMW facility. He said the project work was initially estimated for an amount of Rs.39.11 crores, however, due to landslide caused from incessant rain last year, rectification of approach road and construction of retaining walls had to be taken up. For these mitigation works, he said the MoUD had allocated additional fund of Rs.8.93 crores and therefore the total project cost amounted to Rs.48.04 crores. The official also informed that the MoUD has recently approved a new subproject for procurement of 35 garbage transportation vehicles, waste collection bins, dry waste sorting and re-use units etc. for Rs.11.70 crores. He said this subproject will provide facility to retrieve marketable materials from the city garbage and thus reduce the quantum of waste for dumping into the sanitary landfill. This, he pointed out, will extend the lifespan of the SWM facility site to another 10-15 more years. Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, who delivered the welcome address, termed the project a “green project” which was set up with collective efforts. He said the new SWM facility is a model project and expressed hope that similar projects could be set up in other towns of the state particularly, Dimapur. In his brief speech, KMC administrator Kovi Meyase appealed to all the citizens of Kohima to render their cooperation and support to make this ambitious project a success as he feels that would lead to their city’s well being. Urban Development deputy director Tarachu Fithu, who chaired the programme, also read out the congratulatory message conveyed by the director MoUD & ADB program in-charge Pramod Kumar for completion of the SWM facility. A host of legislators, bureaucrats, officials of different departments, ward representatives of the town, students and public leaders also attended the programme.