From The Hindu

TIRUNELVELI: In an attempt to liberate Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts from the clutches of plastic pollution, the India Cements Limited (ICL) here will use this waste being generated from these three districts along with coal, the regular fuel.

According to an estimate, 285 tonnes of solid waste is being generated in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil municipality every day and ragpickers and conservancy workers segregate the recyclable plastic from the garbage. After segregation, 5.30 tonnes of plastic, which cannot be reused or destroyed, poses a serious threat to the environment.


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The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, in a bid to manage this hazardous waste scientifically, held discussion recently with representatives of cement manufacturing units across the State on using waste plastic as a ‘supplement fuel’ along with coal — the regular source of energy.

As the management of ICL, having its manufacturing unit at Sankar Nagar on the outskirts of the city, has come forward to use waste plastic along with coal in its factory, Minister for Environment, Youth Welfare and Sports T.P.M. Maideen Khan, Chairman of TNPCB R. Balakrishnan and District Collector M. Jayaraman held discussions with the representatives of ICL, including its senior vice-president S. Nandakumar and assistant general manager (quality assurance) S. Dhakshinamurthy at Tirunelveli Corporation on Saturday.

As plastic waste is being burnt instantly without giving no time for emitting carcinogenic gases, there will not be any threat to the environment.

The first step towards this exercise will commence shortly at ICL employees’ colony at Sankar Nagar where the waste plastic will be collected and sent to the factory.

At the same time, awareness campaigns on ‘segregating plastic at source’ will commence on October 25 at Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Corporations and Nagercoil municipality. “The TNPCB has allotted Rs. 2 lakh each for these local bodies and some more municipalities for conducting an awareness campaign on plastic pollution and segregation at source. It will be conducted continuously,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.

Despite shortage in manpower and other infrastructure like lorries to carry the waste plastic to the cement factory at Sankar Nagar, the public representatives and the heads of these local bodies should cooperate with the TNPCB and the ICL to make this venture a grand success, said Mr. Maideen Khan. “Based on the success, we’ll decide on the final strategy for expanding it to other areas”.

Tirunelveli Mayor A.L. Subramanian, Tirunelveli Corporation Commissioner K. Baskaran, Tuticorin Mayor Kasthuri Thangam, Tuticorin Corporation Commissioner P. Gubendran and Regional Director for Municipal Administration T. Mohan were among those who participated in the deliberations.