There may be relief soon for residents near Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dumping yards. A team of Chennai Corporation officials has completed a survey of four villages where new solid waste management facilities have been proposed.
Around 55 acres in Malaipattu, 40 acres in Kuthambakkam, 100 acres in Vadamadurai, and 71 acres in Manjamvallur, have been identified for the facilities so far. A final decision will be taken in the following months.
Even though the civic body is planning to acquire a 100-acre land in Kuthambakkam village, the task is likely to be challenging as the villagers had opposed past initiatives to set up a dumping yard in the village. The civic body will be able to set up the project in Kuthambakkam only if it is able to convince villagers that the technology used in the area will not pollute the environment.
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An integrated solid waste management facility at Kuthambakkam near Poonamallee was proposed by the erstwhile Ambattur municipality. Even though the local body assured residents that there would not be any seepage of waste matter or pollution to ground water or Chembarambakkam Lake, the residents asked the local body to review the decision.
The earlier proposal was to have a landfill with five layers of impervious materials of internationally accepted design. Now Chennai Corporation is set to use better technology as Ambattur has been added to the city limits.
In three weeks, the Chennai Corporation will seek proposals from eligible companies that have expressed interest in sharing technology for innovative solid waste management. The initiatives include remediation and scientific closure of the Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dumpyards.
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A total of 31 multi-national companies expressed interest in supplying suitable technology. At least, half of these companies are likely to be asked for suitable project proposals.
After another month, the civic body is likely to finalise the technology to be used for the solid waste management initiative. Private participation in solid waste management has been approved by the Corporation Council.
Officials from Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd are in the process of zeroing in on the right technology.
The civic body generates over 4,600 tonnes of municipal solid waste on a daily basis and has 10 dumping sites across the 426 sq km area.