A trial run of the waste processing unit at Vellaikkal dumping yard started on Monday. The full-fledged operation of the unit, to produce organic manure, is expected to begin in another 10 days.
Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa and Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal had visited the dump yard in September and expressed their displeasure in the delay of making use of the Rs. 57-crore project implemented under the Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. They ordered the contractor to deploy adequate number of employees and procure all required material to run the unit.
“Running of the unit will result in reducing environmental pollution as burning of plastic and rubber will be totally eradicated,” the Commissioner said. All the plastic and iron scrap materials, rubber and polythene bags will be segregated by the unit both mechanically and manually. These metal and plastic scrap would be sold off. Thus those things would not be dumped at the yard, which otherwise were being burnt by rag-pickers for salvaging scrap, he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The bio-degradable wastes would be decomposed using chemicals, shredded and turned into organic manure. On an average, over 450 tonnes of garbage was being collected from the 100 wards of the city. The Commissioner said that around 70 tonnes of manure could be prepared every day. “This process will also help in saving the space in the dump yard, as a good quantity of garbage, after segregation, would be turned into manure,” he said.
The Mayor and the Commissioner along with other officials inspected the trial run.
The project has been implemented with a 50 per cent contribution by the Centre, 20 per cent by the State government and 30 per cent by a private company on behalf of the Corporation.
ADVERTISEMENT