Garbage dumped in Yercaud to be processed through biomining

Yercaud's garbage to be processed through biomining, addressing waste management issues in the tourist town and surrounding panchayats.

Over 1,000 cubic metres of garbage dumped in Yercaud will be processed through biomining in the next nine months.

The tourist town of Yercaud and the neighbouring eight panchayats in Salem district lack proper solid waste management facilities, resulting in waste littered on the roadsides. Under the Green Yercaud Initiative, the Salem district administration took various steps to reduce the garbage and also banned usage of plastics in the hill station.

The garbage that accumulated for the past 10 years was dumped at a panchayat-owned site and it is to be processed through biomining from March 13 by a private company.

Officials attached to the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) said that the nine panchayats generate one tonne garbage every day that will increase to five-six tonnes during weekends. The waste will be processed into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) and it will be supplied to cement factories. Awareness pamphlets will be distributed to residents, hotels, and resorts to avoid dumping of garbage on the roadside or in public places. The garbage collected from people at the doorstep and commercial establishments will be segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable. Bio gas will be produced through the biomethanation plant and works are taking place in this regard, the officials added.