Chennai residents and the Alliance for Incinerator-Free Chennai (AIFC) members submitted a petition to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner on Tuesday demanding the scrapping of the proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incinerator plant in Kodungaiyur.
Over 200 residents, civil society organisations and environmentalists endorsed the representation letter, said environmental activists and contributors for Citizen Matters, Vishvaja Sambath and Lokeshwaran ES.
According to them, the proposed WTE plant will process 2,100 tons of mixed garbage daily in an area that already hosts 36 red-category factories and the city's largest garbage dump. Residents emphasise that this will violate the principles of environmental justice and cause further distress to the community.
“We already live in a place where the air, water, and land are polluted due to hazardous industries. Most of us suffer from illnesses caused by this pollution, and if this project goes ahead, it will only worsen our health and quality of life. We cannot tolerate any more pollution and its consequences,” said Sarath Kumar (Vyasai Thozhargal), a resident of Vyasarpadi.
“We are poor and we mostly work as daily wage labourers, but we are also living beings, we are also people of India who have equal rights to live a dignified life,” he added.
Threat to public health
The incinerator will be established in an area that is already grappling with severe pollution, said Vishvaja and Lokeshwaran.
The two noted that the waste generated in Chennai has about 60 per cent biodegradable matter, with high moisture content and low calorific value, resulting in incomplete combustion. The process generates pollutants such as SOx, NOx, PM 2.5, PM 10, HCL, heavy metals, dioxins, furans among others. Additionally, non-combustible materials produce 30-40 per cent ash, ending up in landfills.
Communities living near these plants are severely impacted by exposure to highly toxic chemicals emitted from them. Children are especially vulnerable, with studies showing reduced lung function and lower IQs due to their exposure to toxic emissions.
Studies, the activists pointed out, show that exposure to such toxic emissions can severely impact the health of people, especially children, living near the incinerator plants. Studies report that children who had been exposed to the emissions had reduced lung function and lower IQs.
A recent investigation by The New York Times highlighted the failure of WTE incinerators, with residents living near the plants in Delhi reporting a sharp rise in cancer, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Pollution levels in these areas were also significantly worsened, leading to severe public health impacts.
In light of these concerns, several civil society organisations and local communities have filed complaints to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), urging the cancellation of the project due to its potential harm to public health.
Costs not justified
Experts warn that mass burning of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) contradicts India’s Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require waste segregation at source and decentralized waste processing, Lokeshwaran said.
According to the CSIR-NEERI report, WTE incineration undermines the potential for a circular economy. Once operational, the plant will release CO2 emissions equivalent to 8.9 lakh of passenger cars daily, worsening Chennai’s air quality, he added.
Furthermore, according to Vishvaja Sambath, the proposed plant will produce one of the most expensive forms of electricity in India, with a capital expenditure of around Rs 33 crore per megawatt and production costs of Rs 7 per unit, making it a financially unsustainable model.
"Instead of relying on end-of-pipeline solutions that only exacerbate environmental and health crises, the government must prioritize sustainable and socially just waste management practices. This includes capping waste production, promoting waste minimization, enforcing segregation, and supporting decentralised processing,” said Geo Damin, a member of AIFC.
Call for sustainable waste management
Chennai residents and AIFC demand the scrapping of the proposed WTE incineration plant citing the health, environmental, livelihood and climate impacts.
They call for a more sustainable and equitable systemic approach to waste management, pushing for the effective implementation of local by-laws on waste segregation and decentralized processing, alongside penalties for non-compliance.
Additionally, the group advocates for measures to reduce the production and use of single-use plastics (SUPs) within the local body jurisdiction.