NGT asks MAWS, GCC to explore incinerators for bio-mined waste

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Tamil Nadu Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to explore the possibility of using incinerators, similar to those operating in Gujarat and other States, particularly to process bio-mined waste.Hearing a suo motu case on Chennai’s mounting legacy waste, the bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Sujit Kumar Bajpayee on October 26, noted that legacy waste remediation remained a major challenge and called for exploring additional options to address it.According to a report submitted by the MAWS Department, bioremediation of waste at Kodungaiyur and Perungudi is expected to be completed by May 2027, and Athipattu is scheduled for completion by December 2026.In July, the NGT had noted that Chennai generated approximately 5,900 tonnes of solid waste every day, with 2,900 tonnes being received at Perungudi alone. The site also had approximately 29.28 lakh tonnes of legacy waste, which was reportedly being bio-mined.The latest status report submitted by the GCC says it currently operates wet waste processing facilities, including Bio-CNG plants, Micro Composting Centres (MCCs), windrow composting facilities and garden waste processing units. Proposals for additional wet waste processing facilities at Madhavaram, Chetpet, Sholinganallur and Koyambedu were also outlined, along with timelines for their completion.Until these facilities become operational, segregated wet and dry waste is being transported separately to processing sites, the report noted. The Corporation has also initiated the enumeration of bulk waste generators and appointed nodal officers to coordinate waste disposal measures.The bench asked the MAWS Department and the GCC to explore the use of incinerators, particularly for bio-mined waste, and posted the matter for further hearing on January 20, 2027. Published - November 01, 2026 12:24 am IST