Aafrin Kidwai 
The Headquarters of Chennai Municipal Corporation, Ripon Building
Chennai’s first-ever dry-waste incineration plant at Manali in North Chennai is ready to run at full capacity. The plant will process 10 tonnes of dry waste in 20 hours each day. Over the last few months, the Chennai Corporation has been testing the plant’s various functionalities.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had inaugurated the plant, built at a cost of Rs 65 lakh, in October last year. Equipment to recycle water has also been fitted to the plant, which only emits steam and has zero emission levels. The New Indian Express reports that wastes such as plastic covers, rubber, and clothes are being shredded into miniscule particles before being incinerated at 1,000 degrees Celsius.
The ash generated is being used to make concrete blocks for laying pavements. Though 100 kg ash is produced while processing 10 tonnes of dry-waste, only 2 per cent of it is being retrieved.
Picture Credit: CC BY-SA 2.5
