North Chennai RWA proposes alternative for Kodungaiyur WtE plant
The Chennai Corporation is moving ahead with its plan to set up a WTE plant at the Kodungaiyur dumpyard.
Kodungaiyur dumpyard
CHENNAI: The Federation for North Chennai Residents' Welfare Associations (FNCRWA) members met Chennai Mayor R Priya at Ripon Building on Thursday and presented the Green Chennai Initiative (GCI), a zero-waste and sustainable development project, as an alternative to the Waste to Energy plant (WtE) proposed at the Kodungaiyur Dumpyard, to sort the waste management from the household level itself.
President of the FNCRWA, TK Shanmugam, told DT Next, "We met the Mayor to submit our alternative plan for the Waste to Energy (WTE) incinerator plant in Kodungaiur dumpyard. The mayor showed interest in hearing the alternative plan that reduces the hazard to the public."
"The Mayor informed us that after discussions with the GCC Commissioner and higher officials of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department, another meeting will be held with the association," he added.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation is moving ahead with its plan to set up a WTE plant at the Kodungaiyur dumpyard. A resolution was passed in the recently concluded council meeting to appoint a consultancy contract for three years.
To monitor the implementation of projects like Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant, a Bio-CNG unit, a composting yard and a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) with independent engineers at Rs 8.52 crore.
The GCI noted that Chennai generates approximately 7,600 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) every day, of which 5,160 tonnes/day (68 per cent) is biodegradable, 30 per cent is non-biodegradable waste, and 2 per cent is domestic hazardous waste and e-waste. It is followed by 16 per cent or 1,200 tonnes of waste from commercial establishments, such as malls, bus stands, markets, and Amma canteens, as well as 1,060 tonnes (14 per cent) of waste from educational institutions, marriage halls and 2 per cent (151 tonnes) of waste from industries, the report said. At least 30 per cent of the wet waste can be handled at the source level, including apartments, malls, restaurants, hotels, party halls and individual homes and residents to compost and generate biogas, the initiative suggested.
Five-part suggestion
- 3,000 volunteers and 15 ambassadors per zone to monitor the initiative
- A Zero Waste Chennai app.
- Establishment of Zero Waste Institute (ZWI) to push for policy decisions to eliminate problematic and single-use plastics
- Celebrating Zero Waste Day every month.
- Creation of 6,356 jobs in the alternate scheme to WtE plant
- Creation of 286 green start-ups through ZWI
- An ecological park and a large multi-purpose research library on the land reclaimed by biomining, replacing the planned WtE plant
The project intends to make Chennai a global leader in waste management and serve as a model for other countries
