‘Green waste from cyclone Mandous being put to good use’

Garden Waste Processing Units at Perungudi and Kodingaiyur are said to be working overtime as workers continue to clear the city roads of green debris 

Greater Chennai Corporation’s Garden Waste Processing Units at Perungudi and Kodinguyur are reportedly witnessing fast-paced action since cyclone Mandous rearranged the city’s green cover.

GCC’s Twitter handle pegged the amount of wood and other green waste including leaves and branches collected on the day of the cyclone at 644 tonnes. Another Twitter post with a video show what happens next to all the wood waste that has been left behind. “The wood is crushed and recycled to produce engineered wood products and other items; the green waste is converted into manure,” it reads.

N Mahesan, Chief Engineer (SWM), Greater Chennai Corporation, says the ground staff have been having a challenging time in clearing all the waste and sending it to the processing plants. After the damaged trees and leaf litter occupying the roads were cleared, the Department have been working on removing those from houses and institutions. The staff complain that many have left the litter on the roads. “We hope to clear and complete the work in another three to four days,” says Mahesan.

On regular days, these plants were processing 25 to 30 tonnes a day. “Now, we are sending approximately 200 tonnes to these units, where they are chopped with the help of sophisticated machines into wood chips, wood powder and briquette,” says the official.

The briquette is sent to many industries in Sriperumbudur where it is used as fuel.

The two Garden Waste Processing Plants came up in the last one year, having been opened to reduce the quantity of waste that is sent to the dumping grounds in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi.