Second phase of biomining project nearing completion at Ariyamangalam
The second phase of the biomining project to segregate and process accumulated solid waste at Ariyamangalam, the biggest dumping yard in Tiruchi is nearing completion, and the process of disposing of the refusederived fuel (RDF) is underway.
An Erodebased solid waste management firm is carrying out the biomining project, which began processing and clearing the garbage in October 2022. A sum of ₹25 crore was sanctioned for phase II of the project to clear over 3.3 lakh cubic metre of waste under the Smart Cities Mission initiative.
Around 3.3 lakh cubic metre of waste dumped in the yard was scientifically recycled, and the process of disposing of the RDF, an industrial fuel, is underway. “At present, there are
A view of Ariyamangalam dump yard in Tiruchi.
about 1,500 tonne of RDF, which is being dispatched to factories. We expect to complete the process within 15 days,” said B. Sundarapandiyan, firm manager.
The RDF generated from the dump yard is being transported to various cement factories in Tamil Nadu and other States for using the fuel as a substitute for fossil fuel in factory kilns. On average, around 400 tonne of RDF are being transported per day.
In the first phase of biomining launched in January 2019, over 7.6 lakh cubic metre of waste was removed from the dump yard at a cost of about ₹49 crore. As of now, the Corporation has reclaimed 38 acres of the total 47.7 acre under the project.
Meanwhile, a study by experts has inferred that Ariyamangalam dump yard contains about 7.7 lakh cubic metres of waste, a majority of it below the surface level. About 6.1 lakh metric tonne of waste is expected to be removed in the final phase, which is . estimated to cost ₹44.5 crore.
“A DPR has been submitted to initiate Phase III of the biomining project. Once it is approved, a tender will be floated. The process of clearing garbage through scientific recycling would be executed during the next two years,” said a senior Corporation official.