New Delhi: Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday called upon the corporate sector to invest in solid waste management projects and "walk the talk" by partnering with the government in the task of urban rejuvenation.
"Urban solid waste should be reduced, recycled and reused by converting waste into energy and fertilisers as it offers immense opportunities of converting trash into cash," Naidu said here at the "Waste to Energy" conference organised by Assocham.
Seeking support of the corporate bodies, he said, "they should take up various urban projects like converting waste to energy under public-private partnership (PPP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR)."
As per the Central Pollution Control Board report in 2012-13, a total of 1.33 lakh metric tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated everyday in the country.
Elaborating on the opportunities in the solid waste management industry, he said, "The current state of municipal solid waste reflects huge potential for additional waste collection and treatment. If treated properly there is potential for generation of 440 MW of power through solid waste by setting up waste to energy plants," he said.
Naidu said rapid urbanisation and industrialisation in India has led to the migration of people from villages to cities, which generate thousands of tons of municipal solid
waste daily.
Noting that composition of municipal solid waste is dominated by biodegradable waste comprising 47 per cent of the total waste, Naidu said only 68 per cent (.91 lakh metric tons per day) is being collected against the mandate to cover 100 per cent collection of MSW.
He said while 32 per cent is littered, only 28 per cent is treated and 72 per cent is landfilled.
"The biodegradable waste constituting 47 per cent of waste generation can be used to produce compost. Switching over to compost can reduce consumption of chemical fertlisers by 30 per cent," he added.
UD Ministry is in process of empanelling the list of companies that can provide solid waste processing solution to the urban local bodies and the process is expected to be over in next three months.
