With over two-third legacy waste at the Vairapalayam compost yard cleared and bio-mined, the accumulated waste along River Cauvery is to be bio-mined and work is expected to be completed in one month.
In the past 65 years, the municipal solid waste generated in the city were dumped at both Vairapalayam and Vendipalayam compost yards that had accumulated to 5.35 lakh cubic metre. Both the yards pose threat to the environment and frequent opposition from the local people had led to the corporation stop dumping the garbage in these yards.
Under the Smart City Mission, the corporation proposed to bio-mine the waste at both the yards at a total cost of ₹ 37.25 crore and work began at Vairapalayam. Zigma Global Environ Solutions Private Limited began works to bio-mine the waste from August 18 last year and so far over two-thirds of the waste was processed and bio-mined.
The entire dump is first bio-remediated by converting into equalised windrows and bio-culture and deodorizer is applied. The windrows are turned several times to ensure that the waste is stabilised, free from odour and also allow methane gas to escape. Later, the waste is transported to the machinery site and processing is done. About 250 to 400 tonnes of waste were processed per day and the dry waste is sent to cement factories to be used as fuel while fine earth is converted as bio-manure and used in agriculture.
Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan told The Hindu that of the total 0.90 lakh cubic metre garbage, 76,563 cubic metre of garbage were processed and the remaining waste would be completed in one month. He said that installation of machineries at Vendipalayam compost yard is in progress after which bio-mining to process 4.45 lakh cubic metre waste will begin.