COIMBATORE: Even as the clock ticks on the two-year deadline for the second phase of bio-mining at the Vellalore dumpyard, the project continues to move at a slow pace, with zero indication of urgency from the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). Despite repeated appeals from residents, interventions by environmental activists, and even directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to speed up the work by deploying additional machinery, no concrete action appears to have been taken, raising serious concerns over the civic body's commitment to resolving one of the city's biggest environmental challenges.
With only around seven months left before the contract period ends, the contractor has managed to complete just 53.68% of the work taken up to clear 7.94 lakh tonnes of legacy waste at the Vellalore dumpyard. A total of Rs 20.66 crore has already been spent on the project.
The CCMC generates more than 1,200 tonnes of solid waste every day from its 100 wards across five zones. While around 800 to 900 tonnes are segregated and processed through Micro Compost Centres (MCCs), Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), and other facilities, the remaining 300-400 tonnes of mixed waste continue to be dumped at the 697.97-acre Vellalore facility located on the outskirts of the city.
Ironically, this practice continues despite explicit directions issued years ago by the NGT and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), prohibiting the dumping of fresh waste at the site. Legacy and fresh waste now occupy nearly 150 acres of the dumpyard.
For residents of Vellalore and nearby localities, the consequences have been severe. Persistent foul odour, fears over groundwater contamination, and concerns about long-term health impacts have turned the dumpyard into a source of constant distress.
It was these concerns that prompted local activists to move both the Madras High Court and the NGT against the indiscriminate dumping of waste. Following court directions, the civic body initiated bio-mining to scientifically process the accumulated garbage and reclaim land.
Under the Smart City Mission, Phase I of the bio-mining project was undertaken at a cost of around Rs 60 crore to process 9.4 lakh cubic metres of legacy waste and reclaim nearly 50 acres. The work was completed more than a year ago.
However, with around 10 lakh metric tonnes of waste still remaining across over 100 acres, Phase II was launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (Urban) at a cost of Rs 58.54 crore. The project, which commenced on February 19, 2025, aims to reclaim 84.62 acres by processing 7.94 lakh metric tonnes of waste within two years.
Kurichi-Vellalore Pollution Prevention Action Committee secretary K S Mohan, who is one of the petitioners against the CCMC, told TNIE that the civic body has not been proactive in clearing the legacy wastes in the dumpyard. "Despite the NGT's earlier instructions to install additional equipment and new machinery to expedite the process, the civic body has not implemented any visible measures to improve progress and continues to be lethargic. The CCMC administration is also not being transparent in the issue, as they don't allow anyone inside the dumpyard premises and have been maintaining secrecy. With the next hearing in the NGT scheduled only in August, we are planning to file for an advance hearing to raise concerns over the recent works on the premises related to bio-gas or waste-to-energy plant and the sluggish bio-mining works," he added.
Despite repeated attempts, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja didn't respond to TNIE's calls for a comment on the issue.