Odisha govt to hold public hearing for Bhuasuni waste-to-energy plant on June 6

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 24:

A public hearing for the proposed waste-to-energy plant at Bhuasuni on the outskirts of Odisha capital will be held on June 6, informed Chief Secretary A P Padhi here today.

“The waste-to-energy plant being set up by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Bhuasuni was discussed at today’s meeting. The National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s Kolkata Bench has given clear instructions to the state government and police to provide necessary protection to the plant since a waste treatment plant is essential for a modern city. So whatever steps needed to make the plant functional were discussed at today’s meeting,” stated Padhi briefing reporters after a meeting on the subject at the State Secretariat here.

“State government, BMC and all concerned are committed for the plant since there is NGT’s order on this count and as you all know that new rules pertaining to waste management came in 2016 which has provisions for the imposition of penalties in the event of failure to implement waste management or waste processing. So starting with BMC, Pollution Control Board, Police, state government all are committed to it,” informed BMC Commissioner Krishan Kumar to reporters.

The meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary was attended by Home Secretary, DG Police, BMC Commissioner and others.

Notably, villagers of Daruthenga panchayat have been opposing the dumping of waste near their village and had even boycotted the recently held panchayat polls.

The NGT Kolkata Bench on May 15 last while adjudicating on a petition filed by the villagers had ordered the BMC to file an affidavit on the status of solid waste disposal and the proposed waste management plant.

The green watchdog has fixed the next date of hearing on the matter for May 30.