LUCKNOW: The capital of Uttar Pradesh has made significant progress towards sustainable living in urban areas by achieving 100 per cent scientific processing of its municipal solid waste, becoming the first “zero fresh waste dump” city in the state.
With a population of close to 40 lakh and 7.5 lakh establishments, the city’s growth has posed serious challenges to waste management and the environment, which are being addressed by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).
The occasion was celebrated with the inauguration of the third fresh waste processing plant at Shivari.
The new plant has a processing capacity of 700 metric tonnes per day.
With the two other plants of similar capacity, LMC can now scientifically process over 2,100 metric tonnes of waste generated daily in the city, thus eliminating open dumping altogether.
Lucknow produces nearly 2,000 metric tonnes of waste every day. Lucknow’s waste is segregated into organic (approximately 55 per cent) and inorganic (approximately 45 per cent) parts by a collaboration between LMC and Bhumi Green Energy.
Organic waste is processed into compost and biogas, while inorganic waste is recycled or converted into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), which is sold to the cement and paper sectors. The efficiency of door-to-door waste collection in Lucknow has touched 96.53 per cent, while source segregation has broken the 70 per cent barrier.
Substantial work has also been done in treating the legacy waste.
Of the estimated 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of waste that had accumulated, approximately 12.86 lakh metric tonnes have already been scientifically treated.