Vellore Corporation to undertake biomining at landfill site along Palar river

The Vellore Corporation is all set to execute a full-fledged biomining project to handle the accumulated garbage in its landfill site along Palar river off the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48), as part of environmental conservation efforts.

Corporation officials said that the plan will be tabled at the council meeting on Wednesday for approval before implementing the project. “The biomining project will help to reclaim the existing landfill for environmentally friendly purposes. It will also help to prevent the contamination of groundwater in its vicinity. The entire biomining work will be completed in 12 months,” R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.

Among 90 proposals that would be tabled at the council meeting, the biomining work remains the key project that will be undertaken during the financial year at a cost of ₹11.50 crore. Some other works that will get a nod at the meeting include the laying of storm water drains in Old Town areas, maintenance of Overhead Tanks (OHTs), especially in schools, mosquito breeding control measures, and the construction of culverts to discharge excess rainwater into the 9-km-long Nicholson Canal.

“The complete removal of old wastes along the Palar river will help prevent mosquito breeding and pollution of the river. The reclaimed land should be used for public purposes like children parks and playgrounds,” said G. Vanitha, a resident.

Corporation officials said that, at present, landfill sites for the civic body are located at Saduperi Lake and the Palar river. Of this, the lake has the largest coverage area for garbage storage, with around five acres. At Palar, around two acres of land along the National Highway has been used to store wastes generated over the years.

In terms of total accumulated garbage, the Saduperi lake area has around 80 tonnes of old waste, whereas approximately 45 tonnes of waste are stored along the Palar River. Corporation officials said that these old wastes will be biomined with non-biodegradable wastes like PET bottles, and the byproduct will be sent to cement factories in Ariyalur.

At present, the Corporation generates around 240 tonnes of waste from its 60 wards in all four zones within its limits every day. Corporation officials said that with the execution of the biomining work, old accumulated wastes will be completely removed from landfill sites, making the town more clean and hygienic.