Kochi Corporation to invite EoI from private players for processing biodegradable waste 

The Kochi Corporation is planning to bring in private players for processing biodegradable waste collected from households.

The civic body will float Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting private players for processing 100 tonnes of waste a day. The agency that wins the bid will have to set up its own facility for waste treatment. The Corporation will pay a fixed processing fee.

The setting up of the plant, waste management, and running and maintenance of the facility will be the responsibility of the selected agency. The Health Standing Committee of the Corporation will shortly discuss the proposal before inviting EoI.

The proposal is being considered as an interim measure for management of municipal waste till the compressed biogas (CBG) plant proposed by BPCL Kochi Refinery becomes operational. It is estimated that the CBG plant may take at least a year to be set up. The civic body has to make interim arrangements to manage waste till the time the unit becomes operational, said a civic administrator.

Since the proposal for setting up a CBG plant is under the active consideration of the State government, the Corporation cannot consider investing heavily in building plants. The idea is to get waste processed with zero investment from the civic body, he explained.

It is estimated that the city churns out 150 tonnes of waste a day. However, the Corporation council had earlier given clearance for making arrangements for processing 100 tonnes of waste a day. Hence, the decision to limit the processing capacity to 100 tonnes, he said.

Though the Corporation had earlier toyed with the idea of setting up a windrow plant at Brahmapuram, it did not get much traction. The State government also did not evince much interest in the project.