CHENNAI: To improve solid waste management in the city, the Chennai Corporation passed a resolution today to clean an additional 72,084 metric tonnes (MT) of dry legacy waste at the Athipattu dumpyard. It has allocated a budget of Rs 6.94 crore.

According to a detailed feasibility report submitted by a private consultant in 2017, the waste volume at Athipattu site was found to be 86,122 cubic metres.

A letter from the Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies at Anna University stated that the waste generated daily was being dumped and burned in open spaces. It also noted that new waste accumulated around the dump yard.

The letter recommended immediate action to be taken to remove both the burned and fresh waste from the site. It also suggested an aerial photograph to document the current condition of the traditional waste, and also conducting a perimeter survey to measure the volume of this waste.

Currently, it’s estimated that the quantity of conventional waste at the site exceeded 80,092 cubic metres. While the plan is to shift this waste to the Kodungaiyur landfill, the transportation costs are considerable. Therefore, bio-mining at the Athipattu yard presents a cost-effective solution for disposing of the waste.

The approximate quantity of the waste is 72,083 MT, which is to be bio-mined through a new contract at a cost of Rs 963.23/MT based on the contract given for Kodungaiyur landfill.