GCC to reclaim 3/4 of Perungudi dump yard, add anti-seepage layer

N Mahesan, Chennai Corporation chief engineer (solid waste management), said the ongoing bio-mining works will be completed in three years. “After the project is completed, we will dump garbage only on 50 acres of land. The present size of the dump yard is about 220 acres,” he said.

There is an outcry from environmentalists as the Perungudi dump yard is located on Pallikaranai marshland, thus affecting its biodiversity as well as groundwater. Following this, the civic body proposed to clear legacy waste through bio-mining.

“Even though we will continue to use 50 acres as landfill after bio-mining, there will be no negative impact. We have a plan to create a synthetic layer covering 50 acres before dumping garbage again. The synthetic layer will prevent seepage,” he clarified.

Mahesan also assured that the amount of garbage taken to Perungudi would be reduced by 50 per cent in a few years as bio-CNG plants are being created across the city. Apart from these, the civic body will conduct environmental tests periodically to check whether the quality of marshland improves as bio-mining progresses.

Meanwhile, the civic body has completed the bio-mining project at Pallikaranai dump yard, which abuts Perungudi. The land has been reclaimed by removing legacy waste.

The civic body has plans to build two bio-CNG plants with a capacity of 100 tonnes each on the reclaimed Pallikaranai dump yard. The dump yard that spreads over 14.22 acres had more than 37,500 cubic metre of legacy waste.

On the other hand, the commencement of bio-mining at Kodungaiyur dump yard will be delayed as Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL) has floated a fresh tender to prepare a feasibility report as the first tender could not elicit sufficient response.