MADURAI: The Madurai City Corporation has completed a study for establishing a ground-level garbage processing plant at the Vellakkal dump yard, as part of its ongoing bio-mining initiative. The plant is expected to process 600 tonnes of waste per day (TPD) and the corporation is set to begin the next stage of bio-mining works soon, officials sources said.
It may be noted that since May 2023, the corporation has been carrying out bio-mining of legacy waste at the 40-acre Vellakkal site, where mounds of waste have piled up over the decades.
According to corporation officials, Madurai generates around 850 metric tonnes of waste every day. Of this, 10% of wet waste is sent to micro-composting centres (MCCs), while the rest continues to be dumped in Vellakkal. Reports estimate that the site contains nearly 4.8 lakh cubic metres of legacy waste. To tackle this, the bio-mining process was launched in May 2023, and by July 2025, a significant portion of the above-ground waste was processed.
Speaking on the progress, corporation commissioner Chitra Vijayan said that over 2 lakh cubic feet of waste has been cleared so far. “Above-ground waste has been completely processed, and a survey is under way to assess ground level wastes. Based on the findings, the remaining works will be carried out,” she noted, and further highlighted that the proposed 600 TPD facility is intended for managing fresh waste and preventing further dumping, while legacy waste will continue to be treated through bio-mining. Officials added that the study, which also involved experts from Anna University, has identified waste characteristics and site capacity for the proposed plant.
Meanwhile, a series of measures including transit centres, upgradation of MCCs and waste to energy plants are being carried out in the city to improve waste management.