Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Waste processing unit coming up at Vellaikkal

— Photo: G. Moorthy

Useful:Corporation Commissioner S. Sebastine (second from right), inspecting the waste processing unit under construction in Vellaikkal dumping yard in Madurai on Thursday.

MADURAI: A waste processing unit to produce organic manure using biodegradable waste generated by the Madurai Corporation is coming up on Vellaikkal garbage dumping yard. The Rs. 20-crore machineries under erection on 110-acres of land are expected to be commissioned by next month.

The Corporation Commissioner, S. Sebastine, and the Chief Engineer, K. Sakthivel, inspected the erection work which has been taken up under the Solid Waste Management plan of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

“This will be the biggest waste processing unit in the country with a capacity of processing upto 600 tonnes of waste a day. At present the city is generating 400 tonnes of waste. Out of this around 240 tonnes would be bio-degradable waste,” Mr. Sebastine said.

The waste would undergo several separation and shredding processes for eight weeks before turning into organic manure of refined particles. Many types of machineries connected with conveyors and special vehicles for the purpose have been procured. “The open areas where the wastes are dried up in initial stages would be covered with iron nets so that the wastes do not attract birds. This was one of the conditions from the Director General of Civil Aviation for providing clearance, since the site is closer to the Madurai airport,” Mr. Sakthivel said.

The plant will be operated by a private company on the public-private partnership for 20 years. Out of the Rs. 57 crore for the plan being implemented in Vellaikkal, the company has invested Rs. 17 crore.

The waste processing unit would prevent ground water pollution. Besides, the process would reduce the land requirement for dumping of waste, the Superintending Engineer, R. Vijayakumar, said.

The Executive Engineer, A. Mathuram, said that the temperature, pH value and moisture level could be controlled here.

“This would help the growth of microbes and prevent emanation of bad odour,” he said. The manure produced in these conditions are said to have enriched nitrogen content, he added.

While the reusable inorganic wastes would be sent for recycling, other inorganic wastes would be used for landfilling at the site.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Bench disapproves recovery of teachers' incentive increments
“No illegality in denying headmaster post”
HC faults promotion methodology
AUT celebrates its first anniversary
Power shutdown
Dalit labourers attacked
Court deprecates practice of dragging relatives, friends in matrimonial disputes
Engineering students caught copying
The Hindu's reader connect programme on Saturday
Waste processing unit coming up at Vellaikkal
Consider private nursing graduates for appointment, says High Court
Bench quashes orders passed against Foresters
In Madurai Today

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu