3 dump yards to undergo bio-mining at Rs 18 cr

In a move to reclaim three major dump yards in the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to carry out bio-mining, which involves converting bio-degradable waste into organic manure and retrieving recyclable scraps, at the dump yards.

As per the recent tender floated by the Corporation, bio-mining would be conducted at Sattangadu transit station near Ennore, Athipattu transit station in Ambattur and Pallikaranai dumping yard at a cost of Rs 18.16 crore.

Among the three dump yards, the civic body would spend Rs 10 crore on Sattangadu transit station. The Corporation has allotted Rs 5.70 crore for Athipattu and Rs 2.48 crore for Pallikaranai. The proposal of bio-mining was approved at the special council meeting held in October 2018.

A Corporation official said that bio-mining at Athipattu transit station was conducted as a pilot basis a couple of years ago. “During the bio-mining process, toxic waste and recyclable waste will be segregated manually and dump yard will be reclaimed. The potential contractor will commence the bio-mining works before March and it will take a few months to complete,” the official explained.

Even though, the civic body had stopped dumping garbage in Athipattu and Sattangadu immediately after the civic body’s jurisdiction expanded, tons of garbage lie at the dump yards, which were erstwhile landfills of Ambattur and Tiruvottiyur municipalities.

Meanwhile, the civic body has proposed to reclaim Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfills by making circular-stepped pyramids and create recreational parks atop the pyramids.

In another development pertaining to the solid waste management in Chennai Corporation, the civic body has floated re-tender for the second time to select a private firm to conduct conservancy works in newly added Zones such as Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Ambattur.

“One of the two tenders that comprise Valasaravakkam, Perungudi, Alandur and Sholinganallur have received response during the second call. However, the package comprising Tiruvottiyur and other Zones failed to elicit a response. So, we have floated the third call for the same tender,” the official said.

The corporation will spend Rs 745 crore to carry out conservancy works in Valasaravakkam, Perungudi, Alandur and Sholinganallur.