Soil decontamination in India

(18-10-2011)

A consortium led by Witteveen+Bos is to lend its expertise to two soil decontamination projects in India. One project concerns former premises in Hyderabad while the other is at a landfill site in Kadapa, both in the province of Andhra Pradesh in the south-east of the country. The projects have a total lead time of approximately three years. Witteveen+Bos has opened a project office in Hyderabad to facilitate project management.

The World Bank has extended a loan to the Indian government to finance capacity development in environmental management, and specifically decontamination projects. The loan is being used to support local Pollution Control Boards in a number of demonstration projects in which the emphasis is on soil decontamination.

Cooperation

Witteveen+Bos has been retained to undertake the first two demonstration projects, in which we shall work closely alongside the Dutch company Tauw, Cowi (of Denmark) and the local partner Kadam. The first phase of the projects will entail determining the degree of pollution at the sites, whereupon an Action Plan can be produced. The project partners will then oversee the tendering procedures and will supervise the decontamination work itself. At the same time, we shall devote close attention to training local staff and to publicizing the project results.

Extensive experience

André van Kuijk, Witteveen+Bos project leader, states: “We are responsible for overall project management and for a significant proportion of the consultancy work. The assessment committee welcomed the fact that we conducted a field survey and chemical analyses even before the contract was awarded. This was to ensure that the proposed approach would be as effective as possible. Witteveen+Bos has extensive experience in applying Dutch soil decontamination techniques, which we adapt according to the local circumstances. This was also a key factor in the committee’s decision.”

Excellent starting position

During the years to come, the other Pollution Control Boards in India (of which there are 25) will undertake similar demonstration projects. Our involvement in the first two projects in Andhra Pradesh and our new project office give Witteveen+Bos an excellent starting position when competing for further projects.