Chennai: It all started in 1996 when the project was named ‘Venkatamangalam zero waste management’. It was aimed at reducing 200 tonnes of garbage generated in Tambaram, Pallav­aram and Alandur areas into compost.

As many as 17 years have passed and Alandur has become part of the city and the garbage load generated in the three areas is around 500 tonnes per day now. But the zero waste centre is yet to be established and the cost over­run on the project mi­ght range anywhere bet­w­e­en Rs 44 crore and Rs 100 crore.

Last week, municipal officials of Pallavaram and Tambaram observed the fifth bhoomi pooja for the same project and once gain the preliminary civil works on a waste-to-energy power plant has begun at Venka­tamangalam.

According to municipal sources, the non-incineration facility will come up on a sprawling 50-acre site and produce power from solid waste generated in Tambaram and Pallavaram municipalities. The project funded under Jawaharlal Ne­hru National Urban Renewal Mission will be ex­ecuted on a design, built, op­­erate and transfer (DBOT) method.

“Dumping of garbage in the water bodies and open areas has affected the ecology of Tambaram and Pall­avaram but very little has been done to improve the sa­n­itation,” said D. Vijayakumar, a realtor in Tambaram. 

“The plant will be designed to handle 300 ton­nes of solid waste daily and a Mumbai-based company has bagged the award and will be operating the plant for 20 years. The pla­nt will be ready and start generating power by next June”, said S. Ra­ma­mu­rthy, commissioner, Pallavaram municipality.