Waste-to-energy plant to come up at Kodungaiyur dump yard

CHENNAI: Impressed by the methods and processes followed in European countries where she visited to see firsthand the solid waste management practices, city Mayor R Priya said the Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to set up a waste-to-energy plant at Kodungaiyur dump yard to eliminate emissions from the landfill.

In France, the delegation led by Mayor Priya visited a facility that has implemented waste-to-energy. There, bio CNG is produced from the methane gas emitted by the wet waste, while another plant generates electricity which is consumed by the people in the neighbourhood.

“After discussing the proposal with Chief Minister MK Stalin, we will implement the same at Kodungaiyur dump yard because the residents suffer from health problems,” Priya told DT Next, adding that the corporation has allocated Rs 630 crore for bio-mining the dump yard to get rid of the legacy waste.

Bio-mining was taken up at Perungudi dump yard, too, where about 60 per cent of the work has been completed. Once that is over, the sprawling dump yard would be converted into green space, she added.

In Barcelona, Spain, the delegation studied the functioning of garbage segregation wherein the lorries used for collecting waste have four colours to differentiate the waste that they collect. This could also be replicated in Chennai in the future.

"We will purchase such lorries used in Barcelona but depending on their availability and cost,” the Mayor added.

To enlist the support of the next generation in the battle against solid waste, the civic body is also planning to introduce lessons on solid waste management for the students of corporation schools. This will include weekly practical classes on Fridays. Stressing the importance of creating awareness among the students, Priya said the initiative would be adopted by private schools, too.

Waste management at 3 more zones to be privatised

Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to hand over solid waste management at three of the five remaining zones to private parties. Tondiarpet, Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones are the only ones where the civic body is handling sold waste management directly.

At present, the work at Tiruvottiyur, Manali, and Madhavaram zones is done by Ramky, while Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Adyar, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur by Urbaser.