THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The dumping yard at Palayam will soon be a thing of the past with the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) gearing up to kick off biomining to dispose of tonnes of accumulated legacy waste at the site. The land cleared will be used to temporarily rehabilitate 450 traders who were displaced to facilitate the revamp of the century-old Palayam Connemara Market. SCTL authorities signed the agreement with an agency whose expertise lies in biomining.
Biomining, which is expected to cost around Rs 95 lakh, involves the process of using strong inoculums to extract non-biodegradable waste from heaps of accumulated waste. Approximately, around 2,000-tonne legacy waste is accumulated at the dumpsite. “The agency will kickstart work soon after furnishing documents this week. We have also asked them to introduce the methodology they plan to adopt in disposing of tonnes of waste,” said the official.
The official said that SCTL will ensure the segregation and disposal of the waste scientifically. “The agency is responsible in segregating the accumulated waste into eight categories including organic, non-recyclable inerts, construction debris, coconut shell, recyclable plastic, glass, rubber and metals,” said the official.
The plan is to clear a small portion of the dumpsite to install the machinery required for the process. “Initially, microbial enzymes will be sprinkled over the waste. Within seven days, biodegradable waste will begin to decay. Post which, other wastes will be segregated,” he said. The plan is to finish the process within 3 months.
“We have asked them to finish the process before monsoon, which can cause further delay. Temporary structures made of prefabrication materials will be set up at the site to provide rehabilitation for the traders. We will be able to start the revamp work of the market only after the same. We will be opening the bid for the renovation of the market on March 25. It will take a year to finish the rehabilitation plan,” the official added.