In a renewed push to tackle its growing green waste crisis, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has put out a revised multi-crore tender to outsource the management of horticultural waste. The ambitious project aims to transform the city's daily heaps of leaves and garden refuse into sustainable biofuel, addressing both pollution and landfill strain.
A Critical Step to Curb Burning and Landfill Load
The revised tender, now valued at more than Rs 4.4 crore, comes after an initial attempt failed to attract suitable bidders equipped with the necessary machinery. City officials have labeled the project a critical intervention to stop the widespread illegal burning of dry leaves and to reduce the mounting pressure on local landfills. Ludhiana generates between 10 and 15 metric tonnes of horticultural waste every day, which requires about 50 trailer-loads to clear from across the city.
Currently, the absence of a formal processing system has led to rampant illegal burning, with residents often setting fire to piles of dry leaves, significantly worsening air quality. Superintending engineer Sham Lal Gupta described the accumulating green waste as both a "serious problem" and an "eyesore." The situation is compounded by a shortage of field staff in the corporation's horticulture branch, making manual collection and disposal nearly impossible.
The "Waste-to-Resource" Conversion Plan
Dubbed the Integrated Waste-to-Resource Conversion Project, the tender mandates that the selected private firm establish and maintain a processing plant with a capacity of 15 tonnes per day. The contract, which requires 24/7 operations, places several key responsibilities on the contractor:
- Gathering horticultural waste directly from sources across Ludhiana.
- Using eco-friendly technology to convert both wet and dry waste into biofuel briquettes or pellets.
- Reporting incidents of illegal tree felling or improper trimming to the municipal horticulture branch.
Ensuring Accountability and Public Response
To ensure the service remains efficient and responsive, the contractor will be required to set up a toll-free complaint hotline for residents. According to the tender's stipulations, any reported heap of horticulture waste must be cleared within 48 hours. While strict penalties for burning waste remain in force, officials hope that a reliable and streamlined collection service will remove the primary incentive for residents to resort to illegal disposal methods.
The success of this tender is seen as vital for Ludhiana's urban environmental management. If implemented effectively, it could provide a sustainable model for converting a persistent civic nuisance into a valuable resource, setting a precedent for other Indian cities grappling with similar green waste challenges.
