CHENNAI: The construction of the much-hyped Rs 44-crore integrated compost yard at Venkatamangalam near Vandalur, which is expected to take care of the garbage generated by the southern suburbs, is yet to begin even eight months after the foundation stone was laid.

The foundation stone for the compost yard, which will serve the municipalities of Alandur, Pallavaram and Tambaram municipalities, was laid on March 31 this year by the then secretary of the department of municipal administration and water supply Niranjan Mardi.

It is projected as a role model' for similar future projects in the state, but so far not even a brick has moved in the 50-acre plot where the compost yard would be coming up. The premises remain locked, manned by a lone security guard. According to sources in the Pallavaram municipality, which is the nodal agency monitoring the project, the contract for the construction had been given to Hydroair Tectonics Ltd, a Maharashtra-based private firm, but work is yet to start since the firm is busy with infrastructure works elsewhere. There are also differences between the company and the Pallavaram municipality over the total cost of the project and payment delays by the local body, the sources said.

It was on January 17, 2009 that the Union ministry for urban development issued work orders to start the project. However, procedural delays, delay in release of funds, Parliamentary polls in 2009 and stiff opposition by local residents in Venkatamangalam, a small farming village, delayed the project work. In the meantime, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Airport Authorities of India and the Indian Air Force Station at Tambaram too had some environment concerns. "There is some delay. We have already issued three notices to the contractor and asked it to start the work at the earliest," Pallavaram municipality chairman E Karunanidhi, told The Times Of India.

"The yard at Venkatamangalam will be built and run by the private firm as they have the technical expertise in solid waste management projects," said Alandur municipality chairman A Duraivelu.

For many decades, the three municipalities have been dumping garbage in various places including vacant plots, waterbodies and right inside residential colonies. At present, Alandur municipality dumps its daily waste at Pallikarnai marshland while Pallavaram municipality dumps it at Ganabathipuram near Big lake and Tambaram at Kannadapalayam (a residential area). Indiscriminate garbage-dumping by these local bodies has irked residents and environmentalists. In fact, residents of Kannadapalyam in West Tambaram, numbering over 20,000, boycotted the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in protest against dumping of garbage by the municipality. Every day, nearly 260 tonnes of garbage is generated from the three local bodies. Of this, more than 51% is organic waste and this alone would be transported the compost yard at Venketamangalam and made into manure through the process of accelerated aerobic composting in covered sheds.

Already, the three municipalities have contributed Rs 1.2 crore for purchasing the 50 acres of land in addition to the Rs 75 lakh spent on building a wall around the site.