C&D waste recycling plant to come up in Panjapur

Trichy: Trichy corporation has sanctioned 4 acres of land in Panjapur to set up a construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant with a capacity to recycle 50 tonnes of debris a day. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) was formed by the local body jointly with a private environment resource management company to mobilise Rs8 crore for the project implemented under public-private partnership (PPP) model. The recycling unit will collect demolition waste from residents and real estate developers to produce value-added construction materials, including paver blocks and hollow bricks.While Ariyamangalam was initially proposed for the recycling unit, the plant has now been shifted to the STP site in Panjapur due to public outcry. Preliminary study stated that Trichy city may generate a minimum of 250 tonnes of construction waste daily. As old properties are being demolished and renovated, the requirement for a C&D recycling unit is slated to increase further. Officials said the C&D plant will have a set of machinery to segregate debris into concrete, whole bricks, mixed demolition waste, wood, steel, plastic and bituminous materials. Concrete and mixed demolition waste will be filtered and crushed to produce fine sand, coarse sand and gravel. If required, the byproducts will be washed, and cement and other materials added to produce interlocked bricks and paver blocks. "We will allow market demand to tell us the requirements. Based on the need, value-added products from recycled debris will be produced. The plant will become operational before Nov 2026," Radhakrishnan T R Aiyyer, CEO, Aiyyer Environment Resource Management, part of the SPV, said.The recycling plant may handle about 1,500 tonnes of construction waste a month. A weighbridge will be installed at Panjapur plant. The local body is likely to pay a tipping fee of about Rs 640 per tonne for the waste management company which will operate the recycling plant. The plant site has been handed over to the waste management firm, and Trichy corporation shall develop four collection points across the city for residents to hand over debris. "The waste management firm will collect and transport the debris to the recycling unit at its own expense. Without a C&D recycling plant, illegal dumping of debris was getting worse near water bodies. We will find a suitable revenue generation model to sell the recycled end products," mayor Mu Anbalagan told TOI.