Telangana govt’s biomining works yielding excellent results in ULBs

Biomining is a process through which garbage is treated with bio-organisms or natural elements, facilitating the breakdown of biodegradable elements in the waste over time, and the byproducts are used in different fields.

Hyderabad: The State government’s initiative to take up biomining in different Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) is apparently yielding the desired results. Biomining is a process through which garbage is treated with bio-organisms or natural elements, facilitating the breakdown of biodegradable elements in the waste over time, and the byproducts are used in different fields.

Remediation of legacy waste has been completed in six ULBs, including Zaheerabad, Jalpally, Medak, Ameenpur, Narayanpet and Bhongir. The land that was occupied with municipal waste has now been recovered and municipalities can put the land to different use as per their requirements, an official from the Municipal Administration department said. The exercise is in progress in 13 ULBs, including Karimnagar, Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Siddipet, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Adilabad, Khammam, Nizamabad, Dundigal, Jangaon and Thumkunta. Similarly, windrow formation is under process at 16 ULBs, including Bellampally, Peddapalli, Kothagudem, Sathupalli, Kamareddy, Yellandu, Kagazhnagar, Palavancha, Bodhan, Gajwel, Mahabubabad, Ibrahimpatnam, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Sadasivpet.

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Already, among the 16 ULBs, machinery has been deployed at Peddapalli, Kothagudem, Sathupalli, Kamareddy, Kagazhnagar, Wanaparthy, Yellandu and Gajwel. The remediation works will commence at these places shortly. In 2022, the then BRS government had approved biomining projects in 123 ULBs across the State. All the 123 ULBs with legacy waste were categorized into nine clusters for taking up the bio-mining project. The Director, Municipal Administration issued a Letter of Award and to enter into agreement with six firms for taking up biomining activity at Rs.550 per metric ton for nine clusters covering 123 ULBs.

Under the Swacch Bharat Mission 2.0, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) had approved the project proposal for biomining of legacy waste in the 123 ULBs at the cost of Rs.178.60 crore with central share of Rs. 69.09 crore.

The MoHUA had released Rs.27.63 crore towards the first installment and the State government released Rs.40 crore towards the State’s matching share.