The Hindu 13.12.2011
Chennai Corporation to power up waste utilisation
Environment Minister B.V.Ramana looking at photographs on display at the
TNPCB head office in Chennai on Monday. — Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
The Chennai Corporation proposes to produce power from
waste at its Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dump yards. Besides power
generation, organic compost and refuse-derived fuel would also be made.
Addressing
a workshop on municipal solid waste organised here on Monday by Tamil
Nadu Pollution Control Board, Environment Minister B.V. Ramana said that
the civic body would soon invite expression of interest for the project
at Kodungaiyur.
Through such projects, the
government intends to reduce the load of the dump yards, particularly
the one in Perungudi, which is on the Pallikaranai marsh.
It
would also be a scientific method of removing the accumulated waste and
hence limit the land filling to minimum, the Minister said.
Similar projects would also be considered for other municipal solid waste dump yards across the State, he added.
Mr.Ramana
said that Coimbatore and Salem Municipal Corporations had been able to
implement solid waste processing facilities. The Chennai Corporation
had, however, not been able to process the collected waste.
TNPCB
Member Secretary K. Karthikeyan said that there were technologies to
produce power from unsegregated waste. “In Pune, they are producing one
MW of power from 70 tonnes, which means there is a possibility of
producing 21 MW each in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dump yards. The
million tonnes of garbage could be biomined and over a period of time
there would be no waste in the yards,” he added.
Environment
Secretary C.V.Shankar said that the city will soon get 50 plastic
collection centres at a cost of Rs.8 lakh each. He said local bodies
could give some kind of incentive to residents to segregate garbage at
home.
Protestors arrested
Over
50 persons, including Perambur MLA A. Soundararajan, who participated
in a protest in Ezhil Nagar on Monday demanding relocation of the
Kodungaiyur dumping ward, were arrested.
Police said the group, including residents of the area, said that the dumping yard was affecting their living conditions.
They were arrested after they tried to sit on a fast. The protesters were released in the evening, police added.
Traffic in the area was thrown hit for over an hour due to the agitation.
