CHENNAI: After years of struggle by local residents, Tambaram Municipality has finally planned to clear the Kannadapalayam dumpyard using the biomining method.
Besides, the municipality has started implementing ‘Wednesday scheme’ to segregate degradable and non-degradable wastes at the source itself.The move has come after the National Green Tribunal pulled up the civic body over environmental hazards caused by the dumpyard and ordered its removal.
“We initially planned to convert it (the garbage hill) into a small garden.
While explaining the process, he adds that “it is a near zero emission process where the dump-hills can be cleared as if they never existed.” He said a set of machinery would be set up near the garbage hill to segregate the combustible and non-combustible materials with an automatic machine.
This is mainly on account of the fact that dumpyards are complex.
They contain methane, and other harmful gases since they have been there for many years.
Sometimes it might cause fire accidents and there is a probability that those working in the dumpyard will feel nauseous,” he warns.
Hence, the process starts with pre-stabilisation where bio-culture is sprayed.
Bio-culture is basically bacteria which will rapidly degrade the material that is not fully bio-degraded.
But one might ask, “Will the burning plastic not produce air pollution?”According to norms, the smoke emitted by burning a material in the cement furnace at 90 degree C as alternate fuel will be sent through a scrubber (an air filter), which will absorb all the poisonous substance of the gases.