CSIR-CMERI Signed MoU with Punjab Mandi Board and Foundation Stone for iMSWDS is Laid

Foundation stone of ‘Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Disposal System (iMSWDS)’ at CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery, Ludhiana, was laid by Shri H.S. Brar, Additional Secretary, Govt. of Punjab in the presence of Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI, on 31^st July  2021. On this occasion, a MoU is also signed between CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) and Punjab Mandi Board (PMB), Govt. of Punjab to develop technologies for Sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Waste Management in APMC Mandis. Under this MoU, CMERI will develop a Pilot Project on Market Waste Management with a capacity of 5 tonne per day at the Fruit & Vegetable Market, Phagwara, Punjab.

Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Harish Hirani said, “With ever-increasing population and urbanization, management of Solid Wastes is becoming a huge challenge for the Nation. Dumping of garbage at current rate without any treatment would require huge areas of vacant land space and unscientific disposal of solid waste leads to air pollution and water contamination. To overcome this problem, CSIR-CMERI developed Decentralised ‘Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Disposal System (iMSWDS) comprising nine modules: 1) mechanized segregation system, 2) biomethanation plant, 3) composting, 4) briquetting, 5) pyrolysis process, 6) plastic agglomeration, 7) plasma gasification, 8) C&D waste management, and 9) recycling of card boads and rags. Different modules may be adopted for implementation of the Technology as per the requirements of the Waste Management Tenders issued by various authorities. Thus, making the Technology very attractive Returns on Investment (RoI) prospect and thereby promoting a Waste Free Ecological Model. Module 1 automatically segregates the solid waste into different categories, which are managed using different techniques. It can be implemented as a part of Smart City projects as a fool proof, cost effective solution for India. 

Prof. Hirani further informed that a Decentralised Solid Waste Management Plant, with a capacity of 1 Ton per Day having 5 modules, was established in November, 2017 at the residential colony of CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur. Since then, no solid waste from the colony was given to the local Municipal Waste Collection Authorities. Few Modules of CSIR-CMERI are also being implemented in CRPF Group Centre, Durgapur, Four Districts of Manipur and Plastic Agglomeration Module at 16 Districts of Manipur. Prof. Hirani also expressed his happiness to collaborate with Punjab Mandi Board for the development Module 4 related to the market waste management. He informed that proper scientific interventions are required for reducing pollution and processing market waste to useful products. He expressed confidence that through this collaboration with PMB, a successful model can be developed, replicated and scaled up in a big way through out all the Mandis of the State.

Shri H.S. Brar, the chief guest for this event told that fruit and vegetable wastes can be hazardous to health. It also entails expenditure to remove this generated waste from the Mandis. Technology being developed by CSIR-CMERI produce biomass briquettes from the fruit and vegetable waste, which can be used in applications like Heat generation in boilers, etc. to replace coal. Also earlier technology of direct conversion of vegetable waste into compost still continues pollution, and also could not find much demand from the market. He further informed that the first pilot plant developed in this project will be installed at Fruit and Vegetable Market, Phagwara. Subsequently, it can be scaled up and installed in all the 115 Mandis of Punjab. He also visited the laboratories in the Energy & Post Harvest Department and Farm Machinery & Precision Agriculture department and appreciated the research work undertaken by CSIR-CMERI. Both the parties expressed their willingness to further strengthen this collaboration in future for the benefit of society.