There cannot be smoke without fire! True, when people are boiling, something is brewing. Let us see the background. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has contemplated a waste-to-energy (WTE) project at Kodungaiyur in crowded North Chennai. The Corporation has signed a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) with a company called ‘Resustainability for burning 1400 tons of non-biodegradable waste generated per day at a project cost of Rs 1026 Crores. The project will be implemented in 25 years under a Public Private partnership (PPP). For all this, the expected electricity generation is a meagre 21 megawatts, though the company claims to have cutting-edge Chinese technology! It reminds us of the famous idiom penny-wise, pound-foolish. Electricity production or garbage treatment, which is the key objective of this project? Apprehensions soared as the technology, according to people, will throw toxic pollutants into the air and water. For about 40 years, the residents have voiced their health concerns about the Kodungaiyur landfill in North Chennai. In a massive show of strength, the residents came together under the Federation of North Chennai Resident Welfare Associations on 13.4.25 to fight against the move. Going by the reports and records, it is evident that the residents won’t budge. The meeting resolved to hold a massive human chain protest on May 25. As usual, the authorities claim that environment clearance has been obtained from CPCB and TNPCB.

Though the company claims that the process is a ‘cutting-edge’ technology and non-polluting, when we burn the mixed waste, it is common sense that the smoke will carry pollutants, effluents will pour ash, and other chemicals. As of now, we have no clarity on this matter. There are two more points to note. One is burning the mixed waste accumulated at Kodungaiyur for 3 to 4 decades, and the other is about what to do with future dumping. People demand relocation of the dumping site to a remote place, but will that be a solution?  In Kodungaiyur, lots of cancer and other lung diseases have since been reported. It is a thickly populated area with about 38000 people per square km. Most of them are from the poor and middle classes. Under the circumstances, the best solution is to shift the landfill to a remote location far away from any human habitat and forests. Mixed waste should not be allowed in the existing landfills. Efforts must be made to replicate the Biomining project in South Chennai. The municipal corporation must enforce segregation at source as stated in the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. Green and wet waste must be composted. Non-biodegradable waste has to be sorted, recycled, reused, and reduced.  Since the volume of waste generated is enormous in cities like Chennai and Bangalore, the Government needs to engage the services of experts and handle waste management scientifically and professionally. In a democracy, the voice of the people is the ultimate. The way residents stand up together in North Chennai is a classic example of how genuine concerns should work, and bring change