The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to initiate the second phase of bio-mining for approximately 9 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste accumulated at the Bhuasuni dumping site. This operation will be carried out in three phases, officials announced on Tuesday.
Progress of Bio-Mining Operations
With this new phase, the total amount of legacy waste processed through bio-mining in the city will reach 21 lakh metric tonnes. In the past three years, the BMC has successfully cleared 12 lakh metric tonnes of waste through this method. Bio-mining involves the segregation and processing of different types of waste, helping to reclaim land and reduce environmental hazards.
An agency has been engaged since 2023 to process the legacy waste through bio-mining. Its agreement is set to expire in October, by which time it would have processed a little over 12 lakh metric tonnes. The BMC has already started the process for the second phase, and work will begin in three stages soon after the current agency leaves.
Background and Regulatory Compliance
The BMC had been dumping municipal solid waste at the Bhuasuni site from 2008 until the end of 2022. Following directives from the National Green Tribunal, which asked state governments to instruct urban local bodies to stop open dumping and bio-mine legacy waste, the BMC commenced operations in 2023. Since bio-mining began at Bhuasuni, no fresh waste has been dumped at the Daruthenga site. The BMC assured villagers that waste transportation would cease and that old waste would be bio-mined.
Bio-mining helps reclaim land and fill the void created by waste dumping. The process is lengthy, involving the segregation and processing of piled-up waste, according to a BMC engineer overseeing the operations.
Challenges and Future Plans
In November 2021, the bio-mining plan received cabinet approval, but progress was hindered due to protests from villagers who demanded that waste dumping be stopped before bio-mining could begin. The second phase of bio-mining is expected to take at least two years. The BMC is working to ensure that the private contractor awarded the contract takes steps to control odor during waste extraction and processing.
Officials emphasized that bio-mining is a critical step toward sustainable waste management and environmental restoration in Bhubaneswar.
