The Union ministry of heavy industry has on Wednesday launched its first vehicle recycling and dismantling demonstration centre at the site of proposed Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) under the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) at Oragadam, near Chennai.
The centre is planning to develop recycling processes, especially for two wheelers, which employ manual labour to the maximum extend contrary to the system in the western countries. The centre, set up in collaboration with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), would also train and help upgrade current units in the unorganised sector, according to the announcement.
Speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of launching the centre, S Sundareshan, chairman of NATRiP Implementation Society and secretary, department of heavy industries, said, "This would be a demo centre for whichever OEM manufacturer wants to set up a recycling facility."
The recycling demo unit was established with an investment of Rs 1.5 crore including the manpower cost to develop methodology for dismantling vehicles and treatment of hazardous waste and emcourage materials which are recyclable and reusable by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Apart from this, NATRiP's greenfield projects in Chennai and Indore and expansion programme in Pune and Manesar are under progress, said Sundareshan.
He added that the GARC, a greenfield facility in around 300 acre at SIPCOT Industrial Estate, Oragadam is progressing as per schedule and would be fully ready in an year's time. A similar facility in Indore, National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) under the project, is expected to be ready by December, 2012.
The government has recently enhanced the budgetary allocation for the NATRiP project to Rs 2,288 crore from Rs 1,718 crore. It is also expanding facility of International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT) in Manesar, launched in 2006, for setting up test tracks for homologation and the vehicle testing facility in Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to develop it as a centers of excellence for materials, fatigue and powertrain.