Complete plant in 18 months or pay Rs 50,000 a day: NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday ordered for the completion of a waste-to-energy plant in Jammu and Kashmir within 18 months, after which Rs 50,000 per day will be charged from the contractors.

The 5 megawatt power plant at Achan in Srinagar district is to be used to utilise dumped biomass to generate electricity.

Disposing the case on Tuesday, the NGT said the construction work on the plant at Achan -- the first one in Jammu and Kashmir -- should start within a week of signing of the power purchase agreement (PPA) with the state government.

Ever since the process was started in 2013, several contractors have left due to various reasons.

"Complete the plant within 18 months of signing the PPA. The document is already with the state government. Let that be done expeditiously," NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered.

"In case of delay beyond the contract period of 18 months, Rs 50,000 per day shall be charged as environment compensation," the bench said, adding that the fine would be applied for the default period.

The contractors -- Keystone Energy Tools, LLC and Aztec Infrastructure Pvt Ltd -- were awarded the contract regarding different aspects of the project.

The contractor on Tuesday claimed that once the PPA was signed, the project would be completed in 18 months though the contract period is 24 months.

Earlier, miffed by the delay in the plant's commissioning, the NGT commented that the plant was of great public importance as the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir generates about 450 metric tonnes of municipal waste every day.

--IANS

kd/tsb/mr