A comprehensive plan has been evolved to tackle the dumping of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Tamil Nadu, the Commissioner of Municipal Administration submitted before the National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench on Wednesday.
The bench had on August 1 directed the authority to state its plan of action to tackle the waste. It was hearing a batch of applications challenging the location of dumping yards in water bodies.
As directed by the NGT in its previous hearing, Chandrakant B. Kamble, commissioner of municipal administration, appeared in person before the bench, comprising Justice P. Jyothimani and Prof. R. Nagendran. He explained the steps taken to tackle municipal solid waste across the state.
Mr. Kamble said, “We have taken sufficient steps to manage MSW generated in the urban local bodies across the State. The State government has allotted sufficient funds for strengthening primary and secondary collection and transportation of MSW.”
Several new initiatives were taken to treat and dispose MSW in 43 urban local bodies — municipalities and city municipal corporations. Such initiatives were either complete or in the process of being implemented, he added. Narrating how a three-tonne biomethanation plant for power generation from bulk biodegradable sources in Arcot municipality was executed successfully, Mr. Kamble said such schemes would be extended to other parts of the State.
Meanwhile, the NGT modified an interim order by which it had restrained the Pallavaram Municipality from dumping waste into Ganapathipuram.
It has now allowed the local body to dispose its waste in the demarcated area in Ganapathipuram temporarily until a new site in Vengadamangalam is ready.
