9 hours ago
North Chennai residents to pitch greener alternatives to WtE plant
Chennai: With growing resistance to the proposed waste-to-energy (WtE) plant at Kodungaiyur, the Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Associations (FNCRWA) is preparing to submit a detailed proposal advocating environmentally sustainable waste management practices.
At the heart of their campaign is the call to abandon the incinerator-based model in favour of decentralized, non-polluting systems. Drawing from working models in Kerala and other states, the federation has proposed biogas generation at the household and community level, city-wide decentralized composting, plastic recycling centres, and Resource Recovery Centres (RRCs) to sort and manage waste before it reaches landfills.
Last week, the federation and allied environmentalists submitted a petition to mayor Priya, requesting that the WtE plant be scrapped. The mayor, while acknowledging public opposition, asked them to provide an actionable plan outlining viable alternatives, particularly for handling non-recyclable plastics. Since then, FNCRWA worked on a strategy paper that will be formally submitted to Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) next month.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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"Kerala's success with household-level biogas units shows that we don't have to burn waste to manage it," said FNCRWA president T K Shanmugam. "Instead of one massive plant, Chennai can invest in 1,000 smaller composting units and recycling hubs spread across the city."
The federation says that incineration not only generates toxic emissions but also leaves behind large volumes of ash that need further disposal. Environmentalist Geo Damien from Poovulagin Nanbargal said that at least 10% of Chennai's plastic waste cannot be recycled or incinerated efficiently. "That fraction alone would produce 300 tonnes of toxic ash. Instead of burning it, the city can either isolate it in secure landfills or send it to cement factories where it can be co-processed with minimal residue.
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FNCRWA says the shift to sustainable methods is not only technically feasible but essential for the health and future of North Chennai residents, who have long borne the burden of the city's waste.
