Development Minister K.J. George’s comments on the odour generated by composting while addressing investors has drawn the ire of not only solid waste management (SWM) activists but also firms providing composting solutions. At the meeting, the minister instead batted for waste-to-energy (WtE) plants.
Entrepreneurs, who offer sustainable composting solutions, cited other cities, especially those in Kerala, that provide incentives to persuade more people to opt for this eco-friendly method of garbage disposal.
'Entrepreneurs will be forced to shift'
Malini Parmar, founder of one such firm Stonesoup, said, “If the city's policy continues to be against composting, entrepreneurs will be forced to shift to other cities.”
Many cities in Kerala offer businesses 90% subsidy for in-situ composting units and 50% subsidy for biogas units. In Madhya Pradesh, Indore offers rebates on property tax and a 5% subsidy for in-situ composting. However, Bengaluru offers very little by way of incentives.
The one exception to spread awareness was the weekly Compost Santhe, which were organised in various wards every Sunday. However, even that initiative has been discontinued.
“While waste-to-energy firms have to pay 5% GST, the figure for firms offering composting solutions is 12%,” said Vasuki Iyengar, founder of Soil and Health, a composting solution start-up.
Wilma Rodrigues, founder and member of Saahas Zero Waste, said that more than the lack of direct subsidies, what is affecting the sector is how the city administration is making it difficult even for the few people who have adopted this practice. “When the minister says composting stinks, why will people go for it?”
The Swachh Bharat Mission has set an October 2019 target for composting all organic waste in urban India. The SWM Rules – 2016 also mandate that organic waste must be composted. Only Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) can be incinerated in WtE plants.
“Any idea that promotes segregation of waste must be promoted. WtE promotes mixed waste,” said V. Ravichandar, a member of the BBMP Restructuring Committee. “What we need is doing away with various cesses and to offer rebates in property tax for those who process waste in-situ,” he said.
There are proposals to waive off 50% of garbage cess for apartments handling waste themselves, but they are yet to be implemented.
WtE plants yet to take off
More than six waste-to-energy plants, which have been in the pipeline for many years now, are yet to take off.
Sunil Sood, an energy consultant and founding member of Association of Green Industries and Services, said that several studies and energy audits had revealed that WtE is an energy negative technology. “If you take into account the energy spent on collecting waste from the doorstep and transporting it to the plant, we will spend more energy to produce less energy,” he said.
According to V. Ravichandar, a member of the BBMP Restructuring Committee, there is not one example in the country of a successful WtE plant.
