The city can finally hope that the landfills in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi would be cleared as the State government has allocated Rs 5,259 crore in the budget for setting up waste-to-energy plants and scientifically reclaim the land.
Chennai:
“Remediation and reclamation of existing landfills for Kodungaiyur and Perungudi under public–private partnership (PPP) mode along with setting up of waste-to-energy plants is under consideration of the government at a total cost of Rs 5,259.10 crore. The government will accord sanction for this project shortly,” reads the budget announcement.
The announcement has come as an impetus to the Greater Chennai Corporation, which has been struggling to garner funds and also find suitable land to set up the waste recycling plants. A few years ago, the civic body had planned to set up waste-to-energy plants in Kuthambakkam and Minjur but eventually dropped the plan following obstacles including opposition from residents.
The civic officials had visited Jabalpur in 2017, where the power is being generated from solid waste using mass incineration technology. “This technology doesn’t need segregation of waste. Garbage accumulated in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfills and day-to-day waste generated will be incinerated to produce electricity. The combined power generation capacity of the plants will be 64 megawatts (MW),” a Chennai Corporation official said.Explaining the remediation and reclamation of existing landfills, the official said that both the landfills would be reclaimed by using ‘scientifically engineered landfill’ concept.
“Under remediation and reclamation concept, the Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfills will be converted into recreational parks by creating circular-shaped pyramids. Tirunelveli Corporation has one such circular pyramid and recreational park at a dump yard,” the official explained.Apart from this, the government has accorded administrative sanction for private conservancy in eight zones at a cost of Rs 1,546.04 crore, said the budget.
Recycling plant to reduce fresh water usage
The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) would supply recycled water to industries and power plants in North Chennai after setting up a tertiary treatment reverse osmosis (TTRO) plant in Kodungaiyur at a cost Rs 235 crore. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that the CMWSSB is establishing the plant at Kodungaiyur with a capacity of 45 million litres per day (MLD) at a cost of Rs 235 crore. “The treated wastewater will replace the fresh water supplied to industries and power plants in North Chennai,” he said in the budget. As a matter of policy, he added, the government is promoting recycling of sewage for purposes other than drinking to preserve fresh water. The government is taking measures to implement similar projects for recycling water, and construction of 45 MLD TTRO plant in Koyambedu at a cost of Rs 296.50 crore is in progress.”