Disposal of waste at Lamdeng Khunou plant to start early 2014

IMPHAL, October 18: MAHUD officials have reaffirmed that the construction of Solid Waste Management Plant at Lamdeng Khunou is progressing as planned and is slated to be completed by end of the year. It will be operational by the early part of 2014.

This was informed by the department officials assigned at the work site of the plant and will surely bring on smiles in the faces of many people in the wake of the recent entanglement between Imphal Municipal Council and local residents of Lamphel after the latter offered strong resistance against continued dumping of solid waste at the open fields near National Games Village, Langol.   

On the other hand, reliable sources said, officials of IMC and MAHUD had a joint meeting with local protestors from Langol and neighboring areas and brought about a negotiation on using the Lamphel dumping site on a temporary basis till the completion of the treatment plant at Lamdeng Khunou.

Despite the agreement, mounds of garbage were found lying along roadsides and markets in various places of Imphal city. The official stated that ninety percent of the project has been completed after the Ministry of Urban Development released most of the funds. The budget of the plant which has been carried out under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) had been revised to Rs 41.75 crores. The remaining work including roof covering at the solid waste treatment area will be started from October 20 after the arrival of a special construction team of the Hyderabad based Ramkey Envero Engineers Ltd.

Otherwise, all the machines and equipment for the solid waste treatment plant have already arrived and are being kept at the site waiting for their installation which will be over within a short period, he assured. He categorically reiterated that all the construction work will be completed in December, 2013.

He elaborated that the construction of solid waste ground where the non-biodegradable component from the solid waste plant such as plastic will be treated and deposited there for ten year is close to completion. The solid waste material collected is to undergo treatment for conversion into fertilizer.

He further stated that the treatment plant will not release any residue which will be harmful to human and its surrounding areas and will last for more than 30 years.