Shillong: A pilot project for a refuse-derived fuel plant is being set up by a Korean company in Tura, the headquarters of West Garo Hills district in Meghalaya.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, along with Ambassador of South Korea to India, Chang Jae-Bok on Tuesday inaugurated the pilot project set up at the landfill site at Rongkhon Songital. This is a collaboration between the state government, Tura Municipal Board, and Chamhana GW of South Korea.
The project in Tura has been envisioned as a working model demonstration to manage the daily incoming municipal garbage of Tura town and its adjoining areas.
Inaugurating the project, Sangma said that the entire concept of turning waste into energy would completely redefine people’s perception of waste and garbage disposal. Inaugurating the first of its kind in the state and the country, the Chief Minister said this is a memorable day since the innovative pilot project though made of simple technology and low cost budget would convert waste into energy and could be used in place of coal or charcoal.
Recalling his visit to the landfill site way back in 2019, the Chief Minister said that the amount of garbage dumped at the site poses a great challenge on how to dispose of the waste and said that with the collaboration with the CHAMHANA Korean company the Fuel plant is expected to reduce waste and revert and recover the environment as before.
He further mentioned that the project will convert plastic and food waste into energy blocks and the process of turning the heaps of garbage lying on the landfill site would take about 9 to 12 months to be converted since they first need to segregate the mud from the waste. He also informed that the project would be expanded to Shillong, Jowai, Nongstoin and other districts as well in the coming days.
Stating that the main problem of the Tura town is throwing waste on the streets and streams, he requested all the members of the respective Development Committees to cooperate and sensitise everyone not to throw waste recklessly especially at bazaar areas since these places also generate waste from business establishments and that everyone should play a responsible role from grassroot level in segregation of waste, cooperate with the Tura Municipal Board in management of waste and motivate others in making and keeping the town clean and green in future.
His Excellency Chang Jae-Bok, the Ambassador of Republic of Korea to India while speaking during the inaugural function of Fuel Plant said that among the North-eastern states Tura is the first town that he had visited adding that the topography is similar to that of Korea. He expressed hope that the Chamhana Fuel Plant being implemented in Tura would make Tura into a Zero waste town in future.
In his keynote address, Technical Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Meghalaya, Naba Bhattacharjee said that it is a Green letter day as the town is moving forward to a Waste Free Clean and Green Tura. Stating that the project did not evolve in a day, he said that it was initiated way back in 2019 by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma which would have been installed in 2020 but it was delayed due to Covid-19. Stating that the Chamhana is installing the plant without any cost to the Government and they will release their first instalment by marketing this fuel.
The Chief Executive Officer, Tura Municipal Board Rikse R Marak speaking during the inaugural function of the Refuse Derived Fuel Plant being installed at the Landfill Site, Rongkon Songittal, Tura said that successful and effective garbage management poses a great challenge at the present time. She briefed about the geographical features of the town and its inhabitants for the benefit of the Special Guest, Ambassador of Republic of Korea to India.
(With inputs from agencies and hubnetwork.in)
