The Greater Chennai Corporation will start biomining of legacy waste in Kodungaiyur in July and develop integrated processing and disposal facilities, raise an urban dense forest and eco park on 50 acres of reclaimed land.
The civic body has invited bids and the work order is expected to be issued in May. The entire legacy waste will be cleared by July 2025, the officials said.
The biomining process consists of excavation and transportation of the old waste, degradation of the waste, removal of oversized material, sieving, and extraction of various fractions of the waste, the officials said.
The Corporation will carry out biomining of 66.52 lakh tonnes of waste. The project will result in remediation of the environment and restoration of the environmental standards.
“In the long run, the project will have a positive impact on the surrounding environment and on the nearby population. The refuse derived fuel generated from the project will be used as a substitute for coal in cement industries thereby reducing coal intake and prevent depletion of natural resources,” said an official.
According to the study of in situ legacy waste characteristics in Kodungaiyur, the composition of bio earth is 38.97%, construction and demolition waste 6.3%, plastics, cloth, paper and wood 41.31%, inerts and coarse soil 11.04% and recyclable metals and glass 2.39%.
Single use plastics recovered in the dumpyard will be sent to bitumen hot mix plants for road laying. The rubber and tyre recovered will be sent to tyre recycling companies. The project will be implemented without polluting the residential areas in north Chennai, said the official.
