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Chennai's civic authority cleared around 2 lakh tonnes of building waste across all city zones, with daily averages of 1,000 tonnes moved using more than 160 vehicles. The debris is being recycled into construction materials at municipal plants, offering cost savings and promoting reuse. A dedicated app tracks operations, while new rules have generated public engagement and INR?39.3 lakh in fines. Despite this, regulatory bodies flagged that processing plants remain inoperative, necessitating urgent action to meet environmental norms.
Greater Chennai Corporation has successfully cleared an impressive 2 lakh tonnes of construction and demolition waste across all 15 zones over the past six months. The clean up effort began with operations in seven zones and later expanded citywide after a legal hurdle was resolved. Averaging about 1,000 tonnes of debris removed each day via 168 earthmovers, tipper lorries, and other trucks, the initiative drastically improved urban cleanliness and road safety. Advertisement
The collected waste is transported to recycling plants at Kodungaiyur and Perungudi, where it is sorted and converted into aggregates, M-sand, P-sand, and paver blocks materials that have been fed into infrastructure projects along Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam and MC Road in Royapuram. Operations at each plant can handle up to 100 tonnes per hour, using crushers, separators, washers and hydrocyclones. Recycled sand costs around 30 per cent less than regular sand, and sludge is reused in construction or glass manufacturing.
An app has been launched to track waste locations, seek clearance approvals, and upload before?and?after images of the sites. Since stricter disposal rules were introduced in April, residents have been engaged via awareness campaigns and training. Violators have been fined INR 39.3 lakh.
The top zones contributing to waste clearance are Teynampet (20,589 tonnes), Adyar (20,199 tonnes), and Anna Nagar (18,114 tonnes), among others.However, a report by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board raised concerns that both Perungudi and Kodungaiyur plants have remained non-functional since late last year, pointing to ongoing dumping at these sites.
Despite daily clearance targets being met, processing has stalled, violating environmental norms. The TNPCB has directed the civic body to resume plant operations and comply with national waste management rules.Also nearing completion is the biomining of legacy waste at Perungudi landfill 26 out of 30 lakh tonnes have been processed, with full completion expected before the monsoon. Proposals are in place for a regional integrated processing facility in Tambaram.
Past drives show that between early January and early February alone, over 24,000 tonnes of debris were removed, and special clearance efforts cleared 16,370 tonnes within just 21 days.
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