Copyright thehindu
Tiruchi Corporation has commenced the preliminary works on the third phase of the bio-mining project aimed at segregating and processing the accumulated solid waste at Ariyamangalam, the city’s largest dump yard. A study by National Institute of Technology (NIT) experts found about 7.7 lakh cubic metres of waste in the Ariyamangalam dump, including the waste lying below the surface and the remaining legacy waste. In the third phase, about 6.17 lakh tonnes of waste will be removed at an estimated cost of ₹44.01 crore. Tenders have been awarded to the Erode-based agency that executed Phases I and II of the bio-mining project. The scientific recycling and clearance of garbage are expected to be completed within the next two years. The project will be implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0, with financial contributions of ₹11.21 crore from the Central government, ₹7.47 crore from the State government, and ₹25.33 crore from the Corporation’s General Fund. According to sources, nearly 11 lakh cubic metres of waste have already been cleared in the first two phases. The first phase, launched in January 2019, removed about 7.6 lakh cubic metres of waste at a cost of ₹49 crore. Phase II, taken up at a cost of ₹25 crore under the Smart Cities Mission, cleared around 3.3 lakh cubic metres. So far, the Corporation has reclaimed about 40 acres of the 47.7-acre site. About 1.95 lakh metric tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) generated during Phases I and II were transported to various cement factories to be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in kilns. Meanwhile, measures are under way to establish a bio-CNG plant and an automated material recovery facility (MRF) at the dump yard. However, officials point out that daily waste collected from households and commercial establishments continues to be dumped on the reclaimed portions of the site, potentially undermining the long-term restoration work.
