Srinagar, September 16: The Rs 361-crore integrated solid-waste management project proposed at Achan has entered a fresh tender process after the earlier tender was cancelled, while the deadline for clearing the site's legacy waste has been extended by a year to March 2028.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government had approved the project in May this year for setting up an 800-tonne-per-day integrated solid-waste management facility at Achan. The facility is intended to support scientific processing and disposal of municipal waste generated in Srinagar.
The official J&K e-procurement portal currently lists the earlier tender for the 800-TPD facility as "Tender Cancelled."
A new tender for the same project has subsequently been issued with an estimated cost of Rs 361 crore. Following extensions and corrigenda, the deadline for submitting bids is September 21, with bids scheduled to be opened on September 22.
The fresh procurement comes amid ongoing efforts to deal with the large quantity of legacy waste accumulated at Achan over several decades.
Records submitted before the National Green Tribunal show that the deadline for clearing the legacy waste, previously fixed for March 2027, has now been extended to March 2028. The Tribunal has sought an explanation from the authorities regarding the extension.
Environmental records estimate the legacy waste at Achan at around 11 lakh metric tonnes. The cost of its remediation has previously been assessed at approximately Rs 60.50 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has also pointed to shortcomings in waste management at the site, including concerns over the functioning of the leachate treatment facility and delays related to planned waste-processing arrangements.
Authorities have continued to state that measures are being taken to introduce scientific waste-management practices at Achan. Senior officials inspected the site in July and reviewed biomining, leachate treatment, environmental monitoring and other ongoing works.
The cancellation of the earlier tender and the subsequent fresh procurement come alongside the extension of the legacy-waste clearance deadline, leaving the timeline for fully addressing Achan's long-standing waste-management problem under scrutiny.
The tender documents do not specify the reason for cancellation of the earlier 800-TPD tender. Available records also do not establish a direct link between the fresh tender process and the extension of the legacy-waste clearance deadline.
The new tender process is currently underway, while remediation of the accumulated legacy waste at Achan remains in progress.
