The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is getting ready to enter the energy sector and intends producing around 20 MW from waste and putting it on the distribution grid.

The electricity will be from the waste-to-energy projects being planned at dumping grounds facing closure or are already closed.

The first project, to produce around 3 MW is expected to roll out by the end of 2009.

Additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev said that around 20 MW will be generated by tapping methane from the dumping grounds. It is a greenhouse gas released in large quantities during closure of dumping grounds.

“We will put the energy on the grid for consumption in the city,” Rajeev said.

He said the BMC will distribute the electricity in areas where the cost of power is more. Various agencies in the city provide electricity at a cost ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 6 a unit.

The BMC stands to gain from the scheme, because, the central government offers funds for every unit of electricity produced in this way, to promote non-conventional energy sources.

“Thus we can sell the electricity and get a subsidy for the project as well,” said Rajeev.

The city’s population of 1.3 crore, on an average produces 6,000 tonne of municipal solid waste per day which was dumped at three dumping grounds. However, following Supreme Court’s directive, the BMC had to shut the Gorai dumping ground and now even Deonar is facing closure as it has attained its capacity.

BMC is using the “capping” technology which involves reducing emission of greenhouse gases by tapping methane generated in large amounts during closure of dumping grounds.

Methane is collected separately to generate electricity instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.

For the dumping ground at Gorai, ONGC will be installing pipes to tap methane for the electricity.

New plan for managing disaster
Mumbai will soon have a disaster management plan with the help of Japan-based Earthquake Megacities Initiative.

The premier institute will study the city’s disaster management plan and prepare a new plan following international standards to handle natural or manmade calamities.

Costing Rs 5 crore, the plan will have detailed guidelines and Standard Operation Procedure for earthquake, floods, tsunami, terror attacks, bomb blasts and similar disasters.