KOCHI: As the state level monitoring committee on Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetlands Act 2008 has rejected the plea for filling land for the proposed waste to energy plant at Brahmapuram, uncertainty looms over realisation of the project. The State government which had already selected a private firm GJ Eco Power Private Limited for implementing the project on the Design-Build-Finance-Operate-and-Transfer mode is keen on realizing the project as the waste-to-energy model is new to the state.
According to Corporation authorities, it is the state government which should take the final decision regarding the allocation of land and setting up of the plant. As per the current detailed project report, the plant will be set up at a cost of Rs. 375 crore and will be run for 15 years. As per the initial feasibility study, 500 units of electricity can be generated from one tonne of garbage. With a capacity for treating 300 tonnes of waste, the plant can generate 5 to 6 MW of electricity per day.
However, if an alternative site is allocated, the DPR has to be redrawn as the current DPR is for construction in wetland. The new DPR has to be submitted again for technical vetting and other clearances which will further delay the project. Meanwhile, Amith Viswanath, spokesperson of GJ Eco Power Private Limited told DC that the government had agreed to resolve the crisis over land allocation. “The government has already initiated steps to resolve the stalemate over land allocation. And the company is hopeful of realizing the project at the earliest. If an alternative site is given, the company can complete the procedures and start work within two or three months,” he said.
