GCC’s waste incinerator in Manali working illegally for last five years
CHENNAI: A fact-finding report by civil society organisations and experts has revealed severe environmental violations and toxic pollution from a Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)-operated waste incinerator in Manali. The 10-tonne-per-day incinerator in Chinna Mathur has been operating since 2020, allegedly without ‘consent to operate’ (CTO) from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
TNPCB sources confirmed to TNIE that the initial CTO obtained in 2019 was valid only up to March 31, 2020, and the GCC didn’t apply for a renewal, meaning the civic body has been operating the facility illegally for the last five years. A TNPCB team will inspect the plant on Wednesday.
The investigation, conducted over six months, found that pollution control equipment for air, water and soil was dysfunctional. Residents in the area have long complained of health issues such as respiratory problems, skin diseases, and groundwater contamination, along with black soot deposits on their homes and a persistent foul odour.
Despite filing multiple requests under the Right to Information Act, the fact-finding team received no response from authorities regarding compliance details, a release said.
During a site visit, the team collected soil samples despite resistance from plant operators. Tests revealed cadmium levels 16 times higher than permissible limits, along with high concentrations of lead and chromium. These heavy metals are known to be harmful to the respiratory, nervous and cardiovascular systems.
The findings raise concern as the Chennai Corporation plans to build two large waste-to-energy incinerators in Kodungaiyur and Tambaram, which will burn a combined 3,600 tonnes of unsegregated municipal waste daily. Experts warn that these projects could affect the health of 1.8 million people and contribute 6,120 tonnes of CO2 emission per day, worsening air quality and climatic conditions.
On Tuesday, civil society organisations arranged a “toxic tour” for local residents, visiting the Manali incinerator. The fact-finding team has urged the government to investigate the violations at the plant, take legal action against the operators, scrap the proposed waste-to-energy projects, and implement sustainable waste management solutions such as source segregation and decentralised processing.