CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has cleared 48.41 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste from Perungudi and Kodungaiyur dump yards through biomining, reclaiming 100.29 acres of land so far, according to an official release.
At Perungudi dump yard, spread across 250 acres, nearly 27.50 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste had been identified across 225 acres. Biomining works, taken up in 2022 at a cost of Rs 350.65 crore through six packages, have so far cleared 26.35 lakh MT, reclaiming 94.29 acres. Work to remove the remaining waste is under way.
In Kodungaiyur dump yard, biomining commenced in 2024 at Rs 641 crore to clear 66.52 lakh MT of waste dumped across 252 acres. Of this, 22.06 lakh MT of waste have been processed. Packages 1, 2, 4, and 6 have reclaimed around six acres together. Of this, on about three acres, GCC is developing a green zone with fencing, drip irrigation, and 1,500 saplings, all being done at Rs 57 lakh.
Every day, the city generates around 6,300 MT of waste from its 426 sq km jurisdiction, home to nearly one crore residents and commuters. For several decades, waste from zones 1-8 was dumped at Kodungaiyur, while zones 9-15 relied on the Perungudi dump yard. With rapid urban expansion, both yards witnessed massive waste accumulation, prompting the civic body to initiate biomining.