Four micro composting centres will soon be commissioned here to process wet waste collected from 16,000 households in all the 33 wards in the municipality.
The composting centres are under construction at Sandaipettai, Harichandra graveyard, Pachayamman graveyard and the Sewage Treatment Plant pumping station site here.
The centres put together will process 16 tonnes of waste per day.
The facilities are being set up at a total cost of ₹ 247.04 lakh, with each centre costing ₹ 61.76 lakh, says Municipal Commissioner Maheshwari.
While the wet waste will be processed, the saleable dry waste such as plastics, leather, iron will be sold and the money will go to the workers, Ms. Maheshwari said. The non-saleable waste will be sent to cement factories in Ariyalur.
The existing dump yard in Thadangam panchayat will soon be brought under a biomining project at a cost of ₹ 371 lakh. According to Ms. Maheshwari, the contract for biomining of waste has been given to a private party. As of date, installation of machinery is under way for biomining process.
Biomining uses conveyor to segregate the garbage heaps and the waste would be sent for composting, she says. This is an independent project contracted out to Bommu Industries.
The dumpyard in Thadangam panchayat has been a bone of contention for the residents of the panchayat. The residents have staged protests against the dumping of garbage by the Municipality in their panchayat limits, triggering serious health concerns. “Once this project commences, the dump yard will cleared of waste,” says Ms. Maheshwari. This is slated to be completed in three to six months, she adds.
The solid waste management funds are financed under the Swachh Bharat Mission.