The Hindu Business Line : TN: 4 municipalities show the way in managing solid wastes

THE municipalities of Kancheepuram, Namakkal, Nellikuppam and Pudukottai have successfully adopted projects for segregating municipal solid wastes (MSW) into biodegradable and non-degradable components.

According to Mr Swaran Singh, Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Tamil Nadu, these towns generate 30 tonnes of municipal solid wastes daily.

"These towns have adopted source segregation, which is the first step in dealing with MSW."

He said that despite devolution of financial powers to urban local bodies, only three to five per cent of the budget was allocated for solid waste management.

This was not sufficient to deal with the issue in a sustainable manner, he added.

Mr K. Allaudin, Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), said a study had shown that the cities in State had good potential for generating energy from wastes. While Madurai, generating 300 tonnes per day of MSW, has the potential for generating two megawatts (MW) of power, Coimbatore can generate five MW from 750 tpd of MSW, Salem three MW from 400 tpd, Tiruchi 2.2 MW from 300 tpd, and Tirunelveli 500 kW from 100 tpd.

The study on the potential of Chennai had not been completed, he said.

According to him, the early bird promoters for waste to energy projects can get financial assistance from the Union Ministry for Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES).

The first two demonstration projects can get up to 50 per cent capital subsidy.

He said that two projects using agricultural wastes as feedstock had already been committed financial assistance from MNES. The project, to be set up in Dharmapuri district, will recover energy from sago wastes. The other project in Namakkal will use poultry wastes as feedstock to recover wastes.

Ms Sheela Rani Chunkath, Chairperson, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, said the best option for dealing with MSW was source segregation and composting at the home, community or urban body level. Once segregation is carried out, then centralised composting or biomethanation can be carried out.

Incineration technologies, by whatever name they are called, would not be permitted in the State, she said.

She said the campaign to ban the use of single-use plastic products had been successfully launched in tourism centres of Kanyakumari and Rameswaram.

In the coming months, the focus would be on getting rid of these products along the national and State highways.

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