Panaji: Goa's first state-of-the-art solid waste treatment plant located on the Saligao plateau has increased its waste handling capacity by nearly five times in the first 11 months.This increase has subsequently helped the plant exponentially increase its biogas and power generation capacity to an extent that not only is it able to meet its own power requirements, but the surplus power it generates is being fed to the state's power grid.Data supplied by plant officials shows that the garbage intake at the plant has risen from 784 metric tons in August 2016 to 3,582 metric tons in June 2017. The fully automated plant now handles about 120 tons of garbage from across the state on a daily basis.This subsequent increase in its intake capacity has resulted in an exponential rise in the volume of various by-products. The Refuse Derive Fuel (RDF), which is obtained from various types of wastes, has increased from 222 metric tons in August 2016 to 1,186 metric tons in June 2017. The volume of compost generated from the plant has also increased from 49 metric tons in the first month to 228 metric tons in June.The generation of biogas, too, has also increased fivefold with August 2016 data showing a generation of 21,315 Nm3 while that for June 2017 showed a generation of 1,69,005 Nm3. The plant's ability to produce electricity from the waste generated has also increased from 31,630 Kw Hr in its first month to 1, 99,177 Kw Hr in the recent month. The plant is functioning on the power it is generating from the garbage and reached surplus in February 2017.Encouraged with the success of the plant, the state government is planning a similar plant with an increased waste handling capacity at Bainguinim, near Old Goa.

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