Urban News

The Hindu 25.03.2010

Security to be increased at Kodungaiyur garbage yard

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation will soon put in place various measures to increase security at the Kodungaiyur garbage dump yard in north Chennai. The number of security guards would be increased from 18 to 45 and two watch towers and boom barriers to restrict entry would be installed, a senior official said.

These steps are being taken by the Corporation after rag-pickers were found to have collected medicines that had crossed their expiry date that had been dumped in Kodungaiyur garbage yard. These medicines had found their way back to chemist stores.

“We would be cutting off entry to rag pickers from the Panakaaran Nagar side, which lies behind Kodungaiyur,” he said. The 250 acre dump yard has three entrances that were created to prevent queuing up of garbage trucks outside the yard.

Already the work order has been issued to the contractor for the construction of a compound wall for the facility. Efforts would be taken to improve lighting in the yard. A police beat has been opened near the dump yard.

The official said that by the first week of April additional guards would be appointed, which would help regulate entry of rag pickers into the area. The civic body would be incurring an expenditure of Rs. 8,000 on every additional guard.

The Hindu 25.03.2010

Madhavaram asks varsity to draw up waste management DPR

K.Lakshmi

— File photo

Set to change: Burning of garbage at Kilburn Nagar dumping yard is expected to reduce with the Madhavaram Municipality planning solid waste management measures.

CHENNAI: The Madhavaram Municipality has approached the Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, to prepare a detailed project report for an integrated solid waste management system.

Sources at the Centre for Environmental Studies said that the report would assess the present waste management practices adopted by the municipality — nearly 45 tonnes of garbage is generated daily in the local body — and the characterisation of the waste. It would also deal with the aspects of composting and landfill and the amount of garbage that is recyclable.

While garbage from slaughter houses could be used for biogas generation, the plastic and paper waste could be given to cement plants looking for alternative fuels, they said.

The Centre's director A. N. Gopalakrishnan said the project report would be prepared within three months.

As part of its efforts to become environment-friendly and manage waste better, the municipality, which has a population of about one lakh, recently, started source segregation of garbage on a pilot basis. “We have started source segregation at the household-level. Nearly six tonnes of plastic waste is generated daily. We give it free of cost for recycling as of now,” said a senior official of the local body.

Residents of Kilburn Nagar, who face problems out of burning of the garbage, said the municipality must ensure that the waste is segregated in a scientific manner and prevent burning. The local body must also ensure that sewage from the neighbouring areas, which lack underground drainage network, must not be released in to the site.

The local body is also attempting to compost the biodegradable waste in the 4.5 acre dumping yard at Kilburn Nagar.

It plans to float tenders for selling the plastic waste and manure. However, issues pertaining to management of inert waste and landfill need to be sorted out, the official said.

“We are planning to decentralise the garbage collection and identified four places, including in Thanikachalam Nagar and Lakshmipuram, so far for the purpose,” the official added.