Residents plan protest against the proposed waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur on May 25

Residents of north Chennai attending a seminar on environmental conservation held on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Residents on Sunday announced the launch of a protest against the first waste-to-energy plant to be set up in Kodungaiyur.

Following a seminar on environmental conservation in north Chennai, they announced that a human chain demonstration would be held on May 25 to oppose the plant, which is being planned by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). ReSustainability Limited will implement the project, and the work is expected to begin soon.

T.K. Shanmugham, president of The Federation of North Chennai Residents’ Welfare Associations, said residents had opposed the plant because of concerns over public health in the region. S. Subbiah, who lives in the vicinity of the dump yard, said: “I came to participate in the seminar because I want to know about the  environmental impact of the project. I will oppose it because the risk it poses is too high.”

Ward 4 councillor R. Jayaraman said at least 10,000 residents would form the human chain to protest against the plant. “Residents of north Chennai will intensify the protest if the government is still determined to go ahead with the project,” he said.

Ward 35 councillor S. Jeevan, who was the first to oppose the waste-to-energy plant in the GCC Council meeting, said the government should consider the proposal to construct medical and engineering colleges and institutions of excellence to provide higher education to the economically backward students of north Chennai after biomining was completed at the Kodungaiyur dump yard.

Ward 37 councillor Dilli Babu said the residents were protesting against the plant because their health had already been affected due to the industrial pollution in north Chennai. “I have decided to support the people. I have realised that this protest is for the sake of the next generation. All residents should join hands.”

The State government has already begun biomining to remove legacy waste. In the Kodungaiyur dump yard, over 10% of legacy waste has been processed. The residents want the State government to construct the new Secretariat in Kodungaiyur after the biomining is completed. If the Secretariat is constructed here, the area will become clean, they said.

The dump yard has existed for 45 years on 341 acres. Over 252 acres has been identified for biomining after the DMK came to power. According to estimates in 2022, the dump yard had accumulated 66.52 lakh tonnes of legacy waste.

Ward 42 councillor M. Renuka said the residents wanted to discuss all aspects of the issues affecting the environment in north Chennai at the GCC Council meeting. “We will also protest,” she added.

S. Janakarajan, president, South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies, said those saying that the waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur was a win-win solution were myopic in their view. “Will they implement this project in Besant Nagar or Adyar? Why Kodungaiyur? Why has this happened? North Chennai is a neglected part of the city. Growth is needed. But are we compromising on public health.”

“Urban poverty is the highest in north Chennai. The population density was 26,000 people per sq.km in 2011. Now, it is 38,000 people per sq.km. Urban liveability is poor in north Chennai. Entrepreneurs who have established industries in north Chennai live in south Chennai. It is a class divide, not just a geographical one. This is urban bias,” Mr. Janakarajan alleged.

“What we need is a balanced development. Air pollution is the major issue in north Chennai. Lung capacity of people here is far less than that of those in south Chennai. We have to fight for environmental justice. Waste-to-energy plants have been shut in various European countries. The health cost is much more than the energy cost. It is a lazy solution. We need a scientific solution. We must prepare a charter of demands. We have to fight till the end,” he said.

‘Will mitigate pollution’

Masood Mallick, CEO of ReSustainability, said: “The technology we will adopt for the waste-to-energy plant in Kodungaiyur will be different from other plants. We have adopted a better technology from China, which was successfully implemented in more than 400 urban areas in densely populated neighbourhoods. We have successfully implemented it in cities such as Hyderabad. Once we implement the project, we will actually mitigate pollution caused to land, air, and water.”