Belagavi is making significant progress in waste management with the establishment of two gas production plants at the Turmuri waste depot. A 30-tonne per day (TPD) plant will be developed by the Gas Authority of India (GAIL), while a larger 100 TPD plant will be part of the Smart City-II initiative. Although the contractor for these projects has not yet been finalized, GAIL recently conducted a site visit to Turmuri. The 30 TPD facility will be fully funded by GAIL, with the Belagavi City Corporation committed to supplying a consistent flow of wet waste. The 100 TPD facility, with a budget of Rs 1.35 billion under Smart City-II, will be partially financed by the initiative, with the city corporation providing 100 tonnes of waste daily.
Once operational, the combined plants will require a total of 130 tonnes of wet waste per day, which will be converted into industrial-grade gas or compressed natural gas (CNG). Belagavi currently generates around 250-270 tonnes of waste daily, with wet waste being processed into compost at Turmuri. The depot, which opened in 2006, initially focused on landfill disposal but transitioned to composting in 2007 through a partnership with Ramky Enviro (now Resustainability). However, with the new gas plants in place, composting will gradually be phased out.
The Smart City-II initiative encompasses five solid waste management projects, with a primary focus on converting wet waste into gas. While the delay in finalizing the contractor may impact the timeline, the GAIL project is expected to start soon.
