CHENNAI: Even as the opposition from North Chennai residents shows no sign of easing, civil work has commenced on the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant at Kodungaiyur, with the Greater Chennai Corporation expecting the project to be commissioned in about two years.
The civic body had earlier said in 2024 that the plant would begin operations in two years, which is early 2026. However, delays due to election-related work, coupled with continued public opposition to the project, have pushed back the timeline.
Speaking to TNIE, a corporation official from the solid waste management department said levelling work is currently under way at the site, and the load testing is being carried out before piling works can begin.
Another corporation official said the arrival of key equipment for the project from Japan has been delayed due to the conflict in West Asia.
Meanwhile, the residents of North Chennai have once again raised their concerns. They said the existing 10-tonne capacity incineration plant in Manali and the 50 MT capacity incineration plant in Kodungaiyur were found with multiple violations and were creating health-related concerns.
After these were flagged by the members of Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Association (FNCRWA), both operations were suspended. Now, when they do not have the capacity to monitor the small incineration plants, monitoring this large-scale WTE plant will be beyond their scope and will only create health-related concerns, the residents said.
“We already met the GCC commissioner on this matter and urged him to withdraw the project. Now, we will meet CM C Joseph Vijay within July and, if the government plans to continue, it will surely lead to a people’s movement,” said FNCRWA president TK Shanmugam.