The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Council has greenlit a significant initiative to reclaim 252 acres of the Kodungaiyur dumping ground through bio-mining within a two-year timeframe. This decision comes in alignment with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), aiming to address the welfare of north Chennai residents. With approximately 66.52 lakh tonnes of legacy solid waste present at the site as of March 2022, the project entails an estimated expenditure of ₹640.83 crore, financed by the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 and KfW Bank.
The reclamation process carried out through biomining, seeks to effectively manage the accumulated waste, marking a crucial step towards sustainable waste management practices in the region. The GCC’s strategic approach involves engaging expert input from institutions like Anna University, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), ensuring comprehensive planning and execution of the project.