ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad city managers told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board has approved a project for establishment of a biogas plant for generating electricity and gas from the waste produced by the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Sector I-11/4.

Headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the Supreme Court bench had taken up a suo motu case on a letter earlier written by Prime Minister Imran Khan as a common citizen, inviting the court`s attention to the large-scale encroachment of Botanical Garden, unchecked and unplanned construction in Banigala area, massive denuding due to large-scale tree felling and pollution of Rawal Lake due to sewage.

At the last hearing on Sept 18, the court had asked CDA and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) to come up with a detailed report highlighting the steps taken for prevention, control, segregation, collection and recycling or conversion of bio or other degradable waste.

In response, a joint report furnished by the MCI and CDA said that steps for the construction of biogas plant were being taken, adding the daily business activity in the vegetable market produced around 20 tons of waste that included fruit, vegetable and other miscellaneous items.

This waste is collected by the market committee, constituted under the Agriculture Produce Market Ordinance 2002, to manage the market af f airs. This waste will be used as an input for electricity generation to be provided at the fruit and vegetable market.

The chairman of the committee is elected from among the registered growers of ICT. The site for setting up of the biogas plant was approved by the CDA Board near the Cold Storage Plots around the vegetable market, the report said, adding the project would be run on `Built, Operate and Transfer (IBOT)` basis for which advertisements had been published on Oct 3, 2019, inviting Expression of Interest.

The bids proposal for installation of the biogas project has already been opened on Oct 21 and of three companies one has already been shortlisted, the report said.

The court, however, ordered CDA to ensure that tarif f of the electricity produced through this biogas plant should be as minimal as possible.

Moreover, MCI Mayor has constituted Request for Proposal Scrutiny Committee to examine the contract for a smart and integrated municipal solid waste management system in MCI, while consultant Messers Asian Consulting Engineers has selected a site at Sangjani Islamabad.