In a remarkable feat of environmental stewardship, Blue Planet Environmental Solutions Pte Ltd, a global leader in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainability, has achieved a significant milestone by cleaning up India’s largest landfill at Perungudi in Chennai. This transformative project, initiated by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), signifies a monumental endeavour to reclaim 225 acres of land that was once burdened with an astounding 30,63,123 cubic meters of legacy Municipal Solid Waste (MSW).
The Perungudi dump yard had long been a cause for concern due to its adverse environmental impact, stretching its detrimental effects to the nearby Pallikaranai, a RAMSAR wetland and one of the largest marshlands globally. Renowned for its status as the largest natural rainwater harvesting system in the region, Pallikaranai has played a pivotal role in flood mitigation, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity conservation. However, it had been suffering from encroachment-induced shrinkage, threatening the delicate ecological balance. The Greater Chennai Corporation entrusted Blue Planet Environmental Solutions with the task of clearing the landfill, marking a turning point in the region’s environmental restoration efforts.
Prashant Singh, Co-Founder & CEO of Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, expressed his gratitude, saying, “It was indeed a privilege for us that the Greater Chennai Corporation gave the tender to clear the landfill to Blue Planet. We are looking forward to more such opportunities to contribute towards a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The Greater Chennai Corporation area generates approximately 5,500 metric tons of solid waste daily, which had been funnelled to two designated unlined dumpsites, Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. The Perungudi dump yard, operational since 1992, had become a looming environmental crisis. GCC awarded the tender for legacy waste disposal in the area to Blue Planet’s portfolio company, Zigma Global Environ Solutions Pvt Ltd. Currently, the company is responsible for managing 50% of the contracted legacy waste quantity, spread across 96 acres.
The scope of the project encompassed the reclamation of land through dumpsite mining, involving the investigation, design, engineering, procurement, construction, fabrication, installation, and commissioning of dumpsite mining facilities. Various material excavation and movement equipment were deployed to achieve this ambitious goal.
The dump yard’s proximity to ecologically sensitive areas had exacerbated the harm caused, making the dump yard mining project a necessity. By addressing pollution and reclaiming the land, this project assumes paramount importance in promoting the socio-economic and ecological development of Chennai. Over the past few decades, the area has witnessed exponential growth in the number of offices and related large apartment complexes, catering to the IT sector. The population along the IT corridor now runs into the lakhs. The Greater Chennai Corporation envisions establishing a large eco-park once the area, formerly occupied by the dump yard, is fully reclaimed.
