Rajkot, Gujarat: The dream of turning waste into clean energy in Rajkot remains unfulfilled, with the city’s “waste-to-energy” (WTE) project facing delays and financial burdens. Despite being initiated 67 months ago, the project is far from completion, mirroring similar struggles in other major cities like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat.
The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has already spent a staggering Rs 2.39 lakh daily to process solid waste due to the project’s delays. This translates to an expense of Rs 72.68 lakh per month, eating into taxpayer funds.
The project, envisioned as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, aimed to process 500 kg of solid municipal waste daily and generate 300 units of electricity. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) was formed, and work began in August 2018 with a completion deadline of February 2020.
However, the project hit several roadblocks. The initial deadline was missed, and even extensions granted due to the pandemic and other reasons haven’t spurred progress. As of December 2023, only 65% of the work is complete, raising doubts about the revised deadline of March 2024.
Municipal commissioner Aanand Patel acknowledges the project’s delays but emphasizes completing it to avoid further financial losses. He expects completion by June 2024 and warns of legal action against the company if deadlines are not met.
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