The Trichy Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the private sector Dhandapani Cements (Maruti), a local cement manufacturer to collect the inert waste (non-recyclable and non-saleable) for free on a daily basis for the next five years.
The Memorandum of understanding (MoU) is expected to help the corporation dispose of at least three metric tonnes of waste per day to the cement factory near Samayapuram where the waste shall be used as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in furnaces. "We do not have adequate space to stock the inert waste. Such MoUs with factories will help us utilise our land and human resources for better use," a sanitary official said.
The corporation has increased the quantum of city’s inert waste being used as fuel from 17 million tons (MT) to 20 MT per day with this third deal. Besides this cement firm, the corporation has been sending inert waste to Ultratech and Dalmia cement factories in Ariyalur, since February 2018. Waste having calorific value more than 3,500 KJ/Kg (amount of heat released) will only be accepted as RFD by the cement factories.
"On rotational basis, inert waste collected and segregated at 31 MCCs will be sent to the cement factories through our trucks," the sanitary official added. The corporation is trying to rope in more cement factories to utilise the waste.
The waste received from residents and commercial units across the city are being sent to 31 micro compost centres (MCC), where the degradable waste is converted as manure while non-biodegradable waste is sold to scrap dealers.