In a significant step towards sustainable waste management, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has introduced an innovative method to handle a portion of the city’s daily waste output, which stands at approximately 2,000 tonnes per day. The PMC has initiated the transportation of 150 tonnes of dry waste to Belgaum in Karnataka, a journey spanning over 300 kilometers, where this waste undergoes a transformation into a valuable fuel source.
As per Sandip Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of PMC’s Solid Waste Management Department, only dry waste is dispatched to Belgaum. From there, it is further directed to a cement processing facility in Kalaburagi. At this plant, the waste finds purpose as an alternative fuel for a boiler designed to utilize such resources. The current rate of 150 tonnes of waste transported from PMC is expected to continue, with a brief plant closure for upgrades, which will conclude in approximately 10 to 15 days.
PMC imposes a tipping fee of Rs 900 per tonne for the transportation of waste from Pune, resulting in a daily expenditure of Rs 1.35 lakh borne by the responsible transport company. This method proves to be cost-effective when compared to the in-city waste processing costs.
Out of the 2,000 tonnes of waste produced by PMC each day, half is classified as dry waste. While wet waste is processed at various facilities, the dry waste is repurposed to create briquettes suitable for fuel production, marking a substantial stride towards more sustainable waste management practices in the city.
