Residents protest against the plan to set up an incinerator in Kodungaiyur

Residents of North Chennai, along with civil society groups, on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), urging the cancellation of a proposed Waste Incineration Plant (WTE) in Kodungaiyur.

The plant, which is intended to burn 2,100 tonnes of mixed waste every day, is facing fierce opposition over concerns about its potential health and environmental risks. Kodungaiyur is home to numerous industrial facilities, including 36 large-scale factories, and the city’s largest garbage dump.

Activists and local communities claim the WTE plant will worsen pollution and contribute to serious health problems, including respiratory problems, cancer and developmental problems in children. In addition to the health hazards, the proposed facility has been criticized for its potential environmental impacts. In the representation, the groups said the incinerator emissions will significantly increase the city’s carbon footprint, equivalent to the daily emissions of 8,92,000 passenger cars. The high cost of electricity produced by the plant – around ₹7 per unit – makes it one of the most expensive in the country.

The representation calls for a shift in waste management policies, emphasizing waste segregation, decentralized processing and stricter enforcement of solid waste management laws rather than the construction of polluting incinerators.