150 tonnes of dry waste is sent by PMC to Belgaum as an alternative fuel

By: Pune Pulse

October 12, 2023

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has discovered a new method to dispose of part of the 2,000 tonnes of daily waste that is produced every day by delivering 150 tonnes of it to Belgaum in Karnataka, where the waste is processed to produce fuel. It is worthy to note that the distance between Pune and Belgaum is over 300 kilometers. 

As per further information shared by Sandip Kadam, Deputy Commissioner, PMC Solid Waste Management Department, only dry waste is sent to Belgaum from where it is sent to a cement processing plant in Kalaburagi where it is put into a boiler for which the waste is used as an alternate fuel as the boiler runs on fuel. As of now, the waste sent from the PMC is 150 tonnes. Currently, the plant is closed due to upgradation work. After 10 to 15 days, it will be reopened after which the waste will be sent again.

The PMC charges Rs 900 as a tipping fee per tonne for the waste to be transported from Pune. In total, the PMC charges Rs 1.35 lakh daily to the firm for the transportation of 150 tonnes of dry waste from PMC’s collection centers to the city of Belgaum, which they consider as a cost-effective solution considering the waste processing costs in the city.

The PMC disposes of more than 2,000 tonnes of waste daily, 50 percent of which is dry waste. Wet waste is processed at different plants while dry waste is used to produce briquettes for fuel production.

Shreyas Vange