Aurangabad: After conducting a series of trials on the decentralised waste processing plant at Chikalthana, the civic administration claimed that the plant had began full-fledged operations from Monday.In August this year, Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) signed a contract with Nagpur-based agency Waste Bin as part of which two sets of waste processing machines were brought to the city. Each of these sets included machines for screening, shredding and bailing.When TOI visited the plant, AMC’s Mohiuddin Kazi, who is overseeing the setting up of the processing plant, informed that the wet waste was first passed through a screening machine connected with conveyor belts. “Through this process, the wet waste is divided into thicker and thinner bits. The thicker bits are broken down using the shredding machine and the organic waste will be decomposed using windrows,” said Kazi.The dry waste is sorted into recyclable and rejected waste by waste pickers. The rejected waste is then compressed into bales using bailing machine. Presently, AMC does not have any mechanism to dispose of the rejected dry waste.The Chikalthana plant has a capacity of processing 16 tonnes of waste per day and will be operated by Waste Bin.Earlier, the agency said that AMC had not given any assurance to provide 8-hour electricity which was necessary for beginning processing. However, on Monday, Waste Bin director Prashant Chendke said that electricity was being supplied and that the plant had become fully operational.This is the first waste processing facility set up by the civic body in the city eight months after the Naregaon/Mandki dumping yard was closed. A similar plant is being set up at Harsul Sawangi which is expected to become operational in a few weeks.Incidentally, AMC had undertaken several trials at the Chikalathana site in the last two months followed by visits paid by the mayor and municipal commissioner. The plant is yet to show results in terms of processing waste.

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