Bio-medical waste unit in Nellore soon

Nellore: Coastal Waste Management Project (CWMP) being taken up by the Mumbai Waste Management Limited is going to be a reality shortly as the company had obtained EC and the Consent For Establishment (CFE) Committee has recommended to comply certain mandatory norms for starting the unit.

Even though, environmentalists call it as a ‘Pollution Bomb’ in the vicinity but it is much useful for the district for disposing hazardous wastes being generated by various industrial organisations spread across the district.

Normally, malfunctioning of the safety valves boilers or transformers or receivers for the air compressors; external fire causing pressure built up in the tanks or barrels at flammable petroleum product storage tank or drum storage area; flammable vapour or air mixture and source of ignition at HSD or FO storage area; formation on pool in the dyke wall and source of ignition at flammable petroleum product storage tank or drum storage shed or production area; spillage of acid or alkali due to rupture of the pipe line, collapse of the storage tank are common accidents.

As per the initial plan, bio-medical waste management facility will be developed in phase-1 and incineration facility will be developed in the second phase at Raviguntapalli village of Bojjanaguntapalli panchayat in Rapur Mandal.

Mumbai Waste Management Limited is part of Ramky Group, which proposed to set up the facility with Rs 260 crore for dumping and processing huge quantum of hazardous waste collected from various districts in the state.

As per the plan, hazardous waste being generated from around 600 industries in Nellore, Kadapa, Prakasam, Kurnool, Chittoor and Anantapur districts would be processed here through recycle/recovery, alternate destruction, treatment, storage and disposal. A public hearing was also organised in May 2016.

The unit addresses processing of hazardous waste, bio-medical waste, e-waste, spent solvent, used oil, used lead acid batteries, waste plastic, and waste paper which contains harmful material from all south coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Though the unit has been scheduled to start its operations by May or June this year, it was delayed due to delay in complying norms of the pollution control board and designated bodies that accord permission for the unit.

The CFE Committee which met recently recommended to develop green belt in 15.69 acres and the industry shall provide collection and neutralisation tanks above the ground level considering possible floods or inundation events, and proper management mechanisms as per guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The Committee directed to comply with the norms for further approvals. But, local environmentalists warn that the project generates many hazardous effluents such as thermal radiation, dangerous toxic vapour cloud and others that become lives of local people destructive.

“The project is essential for processing hazardous wastes, but the state government has to take utmost care as it produces multi-dimensional pollution. Otherwise, it needs another project to save their lives,” said Dr K Raja Reddy, retired chemistry lecturer.

By P V Prasad