Smoky North Chennai incinerator goes unchecked; RTI Reply Confirms Citizens’ Concerns

Chennai: The 50-tonnes-per-day waste incinerator operating in Kodungaiyur, which residents say pollutes air and water across swathes of north Chennai, is not being monitored by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, according to a reply received by residents' association through an RTI application. A report released on Monday by the Federation for North Chennai Residents' Welfare Association, citing the board's response, said the facility had failed to monitor 45 of the 48 prescribed environmental parameters including air emissions, leachate discharge and toxic ash handling since it began operations in 2021. Of the 11 mandated air emission parameters, only three had been tested, and that too just once over five years, the report said. The incinerator, operated by a private contractor on behalf of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), is classified as a ‘red category' industry in north Chennai, an area already burdened with thermal power and petrochemical units.Field visits conducted in April 2025 and Jan 2026 by the RWA documented ash mismanagement, leachate overflow and visible smoke emissions. Residents of Ezhil Nagar and Nethaji Nagar reported a persistent foul odour, black dust deposits on rooftops and a perceived rise in respiratory ailments. Despite the alleged violations, the facility was granted permission to operate until March 2028. The report called for an independent inquiry, the immediate closure of the plant and a shift toward zero-waste models centred on segregation, composting and material recovery.The association's findings drew support from other groups. The Alliance for Incinerator Free Chennai, an NGO working in north Chennai, said the absence of continuous emissions monitoring systems and failure to test for hazardous pollutants could pose significant public-health risks. The findings have also reignited debate over Chennai's proposed expansion of waste-to-energy infrastructure. "The city plans to set up two large-scale incinerators capable of processing up to 3,600 tonnes of waste per day. Scaling up incineration without strict compliance mechanisms could worsen pollution and disproportionately affect vulnerable communities," said Geo Damin of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an NGO."Govt must shut the Kodungaiyur plant and scrap expansion plans," said T K Shanmugam of the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Association.