THANJAVUR: The Rs 14.9-crore bio-mining project at the Thanjavur city corporation compost yard, which has already overshot its original deadline by around three years, is likely to be delayed further in completion as the monsoon rain is impeding removal of the remaining 35,000 cubic metres of solid waste.
Bio-mining of the waste accumulated over decades at the compost yard commenced in August 2019. Though a six-month time frame was given for the completion of the project taken up under the Smart Cities Mission, it is yet to be completed. When contacted a city corporation official told TNIE that of the 2.30 lakh cubic metres earmarked for bio-mining, 1.95 lakh cubic metres of waste have been bio-mined.
Further, the official pointed out that five trommels are being deployed to clear the remaining 35,000 cubic metres of waste. "If there are no major rain spells, the work will be completed by January 2023," the official added. The waste drenched in rainwater cannot be bio-mined immediately and needs to become dry under the sun’s heat, the official pointed out.
While the official said the first contractor was changed due to the delay in completion, the mounds of solid waste in the sprawling 28-acre compost yard in Chekkadi continue to be of concern for locals. Residents of the locality, Jabamalaipuram and also those in areas in the old city are forced to put up with the frequent fires in summer and the stench from the accumulated waste.
Following one such fire accident in the compost yard on July 4, 2022, a house located nearby went up in flames and claimed the life of the 65-year-old inmate, who was an ex-serviceman. Pointing to the incident, Rajiv, a resident of Chekkadi, said bio-mining work needs to be expedited in order for them to feel safe. The blackened water flowing out of the yard also is seen facilitating mosquito breeding.
Apart from the accumulated legacy waste, the waste being added from 2019 is not being bio-mined as it is not covered in the original contract. The waste is now accumulating as new mounds in the compost yard. Though 10 micro compost yards have been commissioned in the city, an average of around 100 tonnes of waste has been arriving daily in the yard.
Though it was said it would be bio-mined by floating another contract, it is yet to be done. "We are measuring the quantum of the new waste", the official said, adding its bio-mining would commence after that.