CHENNAI: In a bold move toward making Chennai India first zero-waste, people-centric city, residents of North Chennai have proposed the Green Chennai Initiative (GCI) a comprehensive, climate-resilient waste management plan. The proposal directly challenges the controversial Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incinerator project planned at the Kodungaiyur dumpyard.
Spearheaded by the Federation for North Chennai Residents Welfare Association, the GCI calls for a decentralised system rooted in composting, recycling, and community participation rejecting incineration, which they argue would create toxic byproducts like ash and air pollutants.
“Burning 2,300 tonnes of dry waste daily will only generate 500 tonnes of toxic ash. This is not the future we want for Chennai,” said TK Shanmugam, president of the Federation, who is scheduled to submit the proposal to Mayor Priya.
Instead of the incinerator, the initiative envisions turning Kodungaiyur into an eco-park and a multidisciplinary learning hub, complete with a library and free hostel for civil service aspirants a step Shanmugam describes as “natural justice for the long-neglected North Chennai.”
Waste at the Source, Not at the Dump
The city generates 7,600 tonnes of waste daily 68% of which is biodegradable. The GCI proposes a grassroots model where wet waste is managed at the household and ward level using micro-composting, biogas, and decentralised plants:
•302 micro-composting centres to manage 1,510 tonnes/day
•120 decentralised biogas plants for 600 tonnes/day
•20 centralised biogas units with 100-tonne capacity each
This system, the plan notes, could eliminate the need to transport wet waste to distant landfills.
Dry waste, meanwhile, would be handled by material recovery facilities (MRFs), each processing 50 tonnes. Hazardous domestic waste will be tackled through 15 specialised centres. The plan also advocates for strict source segregation across the city and public incentives such as property tax discounts to encourage composting in homes, apartments, hotels, and malls.
Long-Term Vision: Redesign, Not Just Recycle
A key highlight of GCI is the proposed Zero Waste Institute, to be set up in Chennai. Its role: analyse residual waste and propose long-term fixes like phasing out multi-layered plastics, plastic-lined cups, and redesigning non-recyclables.
The initiative takes cues from Kerala’s decentralised model and reflects a growing urban shift from mass disposal to community-based resource recovery.
If implemented, the Green Chennai Initiative could not only save the environment from toxic emissions but also turn landfills into learning grounds literally and figuratively for a more sustainable, inclusive urban future.