A fresh detailed project report for the new biowaste plant at Brahmapuram was presented to the Kochi corporation council. The construction of the plant, including machinery, is estimated to cost Rs 60 crore, compared to the earlier proposal of Rs 45.8 crore.
However, the opposition expressed concern over the huge amount required for the new plant when the state government decided to build a modern waste-to-energy plant. “Though the government has promised a modern plant, implementing it will take time,” said Mayor M Anilkumar. “Immediate decisions need to be taken as the existing plant can’t be continued with for long.”
The agenda was postponed to the next council, given the opposition’s view that a detailed discussion was needed. The new plant will be constructed on 10 acres of land near the entrance to the existing plant.
It will be 150 metres long and 90 metres wide, with a capacity to treat 300 tonnes of bio-waste. It will have an area of 13,500 sq ft. A spokesperson for Esteem Developers, who prepared the new DPR, said similar plants are operating successfully in cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata.