Aafrin Kidwai 
A deadline of December 2020 has been fixed for the commercial operation of the waste-to-energy (WtE) power project by the JIFT Urban Infrastructure Limited at Kapuluppada under the limits of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).
GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana, who recently inspected the plant, expressed displeasure over the slow progress of works and the delay in the project, which was scheduled to begin operations in July 2020. It was learned that after COVID-19 lockdown, inavailability of labourers stopped civil works at the plant, reports The Hindu.
According to GVMC Additional Commissioner V. Sanyasi Rao, almost 77% of civil works at the plant were completed and 23% of works are yet to be completed. He said that the equipment required has also been procured by the agency.
In February 2016, the GVMC had entered into an agreement with the JIFT Urban Infrastructure Limited for the project. In December 2018, the GVMC had allotted land at Kapuluppada on lease for a period of 25 years.
Chief Medical & Officer of Health (CMoH), K.S.L.G Sastry said that as per the agreement, the GVMC will supply 900 to 1,000 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) gathered from the households to the facility on daily basis and also bear the transportation cost. The company would generate 15 MW of power from the solid waste. Discom will procure power from the plant.
