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.