Page 15 - Demo

A New life For Legacy Waste: Chennai%u2019s Perungudi%u2019s 30 Lakh Ton TransformationLegacy Waste Dumpsite Remediation TransformationsAt Perungudi, Chennai, a landfill that once symbolised the city%u2019s waste crisis is steadily disappearing. Spread across 250 acres, with 225 acres holding nearly 30 lakh tonnes of legacy waste accumulated over three decades, the dumpsite had caused severe ecological damage, toxic air, and urban stress.In November 2020, the Greater Chennai Corporation, under Swachh Bharat Mission%u2013Urban 2.0, initiated large-scale biomining led by Chennai-based Blue Planet. Legacy waste was scientifically processed into recoverable streams%u2014organic-rich soil reused for land restoration, stones and aggregates used to fill low-lying areas, and inert material processed to IS-383:2016 construction standards. Chennaibased companies adopted this recycled material as an alternative to river sand, reducing sand mining.Chennai generates nearly 5,500 tonnes of waste daily, much of which earlier reached Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. Today, Perungudi%u2019s waste mountain is shrinking, with the project completed nearly a year ahead of schedule, setting national benchmarks in legacy waste processing and RDF channelisation. The initiative avoids over 8 lakh tonnes of CO%u2082 emissions annually, with an additional 30,000+ tonnes saved through alternative fuel use.The project has generated revenue through construction-grade sand, recycled furniture, fuel for cement plants, recovered steel reused as utensils and hardware, and nearly 3,000 tonnes of glass recycled into bottles. Plastic waste, once considered non-recyclable, is now transformed into outdoor furniture, pallets, ramps, and urban infrastructure%u2014capable of being recycled 7%u20138 times.Today, a green park stands where the dump once burned. The Pallikaranai marsh is reviving, with 115 bird species returning, demonstrating how Perungudi has shifted from a dumping ground to a model of circular economy and ecological restoration.Before After15