MAUD Dept to hire private firm for scientific disposal of waste

HYDERABAD, Telangana: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department of Telangana is planning to hire an independent agency to supervise the scientific disposal of accumulated waste in 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) under the bio-mining project. The process of bio-mining utilises natural organisms to decompose the biodegradable elements of the waste, which could then be used as byproducts in various sectors.

All the 123 ULBs have been grouped into 9 clusters and agencies have been identified for each of the clusters with an estimated cost of Rs 550 per metric tonne. Within the clusters, ULBs have been prioritised based on the quantity of legacy waste stored in the dumping grounds. The department has fixed targets for the agencies to start the project. The deadline for 23 ULBs is July, 2022; for 73 ULBs, it’s March 31, 2023; and March 31, 2024, for the remaining ULBs.

A Letter of Agreement was issued to the respective agencies on March 25, and they were supposed to submit their performance bank guarantee after completing the survey, said a senior official from the department. Topographic and drone surveys have been conducted in areas of ULBs for this purpose, and the quantities have been verified and certified by the Commissioners of respective ULBs.

The bank guarantees have been submitted for the 49 ULBs, and six concessionaries and concession agreements have also been concluded for the same. Currently, the concessionaries are applying for the consent of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) on behalf of ULBs. On the other hand, the Municipal Commissioners have been instructed to provide all the necessary documentation to the concessionaries.

The bio-mining project is being implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The Ministry has approved the bio mining project at an estimated cost of Rs 178.60 crores, out of which the central government will provide Rs 69.09 crores, and state governments will provide Rs 109.51 crores.

The central government has already released Rs 27.63 crores in the first installment.