CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on Monday, directed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to explain why it has decided to close down micro composting centres and material recovery facilities across the city.
While hearing a suo moto case based on news reports, the bench comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati inquired the civic body about alternate proposals to manage solid waste management after shutting down the existing waste processing centres suddenly.
Noting that the waste incineration plants release higher amounts of air pollutants, the bench sought a report with a detailed reasoning for taking such a decision and alternate measures if the centres are closed.
Apart from the GCC, notices were issued to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and Municipal Administration and Water Supply department (MAWS) to furnish their separate responses before March 27, the date of the next hearing.
Per reports, GCC decided to close 168 micro composting centres and 88 material recovery facilities. The civic body claimed that the decision was taken following complaints of odour from the waste processing centres as the reason.
Sources informed that the civic body would incinerate all kinds of waste, amounting to half of the total city’s waste generation, after constructing a waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur. Despite opposition from environmentalists and residents against the plant, the government has announced a similar waste-to-energy plant in Tambaram during the budget announcement.