SHILLONG: The State Government is contemplating to increase the capacity of the compost plant in the dumping ground at Marten, Mawiong.
The Government is taking this initiative to reduce the stench emanating from the waste dumping ground.
Informing this here on Friday, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh informed that at present, the capacity of the compost plant is only 100 metric ton per day.
“We are planning to increase the capacity of the existing plant to 200 metric tonnes per day,” Ampareen said while also informing that this initiative being taken was to speed up the process for recycling of waste materials being dumped at Marten everyday.
It may be mentioned that the 100 metric ton recycling machine was made functional last week after Ms Lyngdoh took charge as Minister of Urban and Municipal Affairs.
Earlier on Thursday, Urban Affairs Minister inspected the dumping site at Mawiong and reviewed situation especially to see for herself regarding the alleged foul smell emanating from the garbage dumping ground.
“The smell generated at Marten has been reduced after the functioning of the recycling machine especially along the Shillong-Guwahati national highway,” Ampareen said
She however stressed the need to have an urgent scientific sanitary land fill at the Marten so that waste materials that cannot be recycled should be covered under earth scientifically.
“We urgently need a scientific sanitary land fill for non-recyclable waste materials,” Ms Lyngdoh said.
As of today, the collected wastes are disposed at a disposal site in Mawiong that has been operated since 1938.
As waste segregation is not practiced in Shillong, the absence of segregation poses problems to the operation of the existing compost plant in Mawiong dumpsite.
Two years ago, the state government had announced to rope in a Japanese firm – Creative Co. Ltd which had proposed to implement its “green coal” project for an ecological recycle port.
The ‘green coal’ project for city’s waste management was planned for generating electricity through solid waste management at Marten.