Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar visited Chennai on Tuesday to examine the city’s solid waste management practices, particularly the bio-CNG plant at Chetpet, managed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). His visit aimed to learn from Chennai’s innovative waste management strategies.Shivakumar, accompanied by a team of 15 officials, remarked, “We came to Chennai to understand how bulk waste is managed and bio-CNG is produced. While we have undertaken various measures to improve waste management in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu’s approach offers valuable insights that we hope to adapt to enhance our own solid waste management practices.”
The GCC’s waste management strategy involves a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Srinivas Waste Management Services Private Limited (SWMS). SWMS collects biodegradable organic waste from bulk waste generators such as hotels, markets including the Koyambedu wholesale market, canteens, apartments, and marriage halls. The collected wet waste is processed at the Chetpet plant to produce bio-CNG.
The bio-CNG produced at the facility is over 95-96% methane. It is compressed, bottled, and supplied back to restaurants in cylinders, serving as an alternative to LPG. The plant also supplies bio-CNG to automobile gas stations. Additionally, Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) is produced from the waste and used as fertilizer.
Since November 2021, the facility has processed approximately 79,762 metric tonnes of wet waste and produced 1,357 metric tonnes of CNG gas. This visit highlights the growing interest in sustainable waste management practices and the potential for cross-state learning and improvement.