The Hindu 09.02.2010
Corporation signs MoU
Staff Reporter
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen.
PACT: Corporation Commissioner K. Baskaran (second from right) and Senior Vice-President (manufacturing) India Cements S. Nanthakumar (left) exchanging the MoU in Tirunelveli on Monday.
TIRUNELVELI: The Corporation signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with India Cements Limited (ICL) here on Monday agreeing to supply for three years the non-biodegradable plastic waste being generated and collected under its jurisdiction to the cement manufacturing unit, where the toxic rubbish will be shredded and used in the kiln as a supplement fuel along with coal, the regular fuel.
Corporation Commissioner K. Baskaran and Senior Vice-President (Manufacturing) of ICL S. Nanthakumar signed the MoU.
“We are now sending 1.40 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste plastic a day to the cement manufacturing unit, where the finely divided plastic waste is being used along with the regular fuel of coal for trial run, which is found to be successful so far. Once the trial run is over, we’ll start sending increased quantity of waste plastic to India Cements Limited,” said Mayor A.L. Subramanian who was present during the signing of the MoU.
After the civic body was struggling to manage the non-biodegradable plastic waste being generated within the corporation limits, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board convened a meeting of the representatives from Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil Municipality here during October 2009 in which officials from the ICL also participated.
According to an estimate, 285 tonnes of solid waste is being generated in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil municipality every day and ragpickers and conservancy workers segregate the recyclable plastic from the garbage. After segregation, 5.30 tonnes of plastic, which cannot be reused or destroyed, poses a serious threat to the environment and the civic bodies are virtually struggling to manage this huge quantity of toxic waste that actually forced the local bodies to seek the help of the cement manufacturing unit.
To use the plastic waste in its unit on the outskirts of Tirunelveli, the ICL had to spend over Rs. 1 crore for incorporating some modifications.
“As the shredded plastic wastes are burnt in the kiln along with 500 tonnes of coal at 1,400 degree Celsius a day, there is no scope for the emission of dioxin and furan, the gases that cause cancer,” said Mr. Nandakumar.
Deputy Mayor K. Muthuramalingam, City Engineer Jai Xavier, Executive Engineer Narayanan Nair, City Health Officer Kalu. Sivalingam and chairpersons Suba. Seetharaman (Palayamkottai), P. Subramanian (Thatchanallur) and S.S. Mohamed Maideen (Melapalayam) were present.
