The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Council approved a proposal to reclaim 252 acres of the Kodungaiyur dumping ground through bio-mining over the next two years.
Approximately 66.52 lakh tonnes of legacy solid waste exists at the site as of March 2022, which will be processed for an estimated ₹640.83 crore, with funds under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and KfW Bank (a German bank), under six packages.
According to the GCC, the proposal was for the welfare of north Chennai residents in line with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Of the 342.91 acres at the dumping ground, legacy waste occupies 252 acres, which will be reclaimed through biomining.
The decision to pay per tonne of waste rather than per cubic metre was made during expert deliberations, and following negotiations, a uniform rate of ₹963.29 per tonne was agreed upon by all three contractors, the resolution stated.
Project’s timeline
After discussions with experts from Anna University, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), and the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL), a Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) and transaction advisory services report were prepared in July 2021 by a consultant appointed by the TNUIFSL. Subsequently, an inception report was compiled in February 2022 and drone surveys were carried out in March 2022 to assess the extent of the dumped garbage.
The experts reviewed the methodology for excavation, screening, and storage followed during the biomining operation and safe disposal of the resulting materials. They also examined the DFR’s cost estimation before giving approval for the implementation. The State government issued the administrative sanction in January 2023.
Three packages were awarded to Zigma Global Environ Solutions Private Limited, Erode, two to Ramky Infrastructure Limited, and one to Ascent e-Digit Solutions Private Limited, the resolution stated.
