Erode Corporation’s second incineration plant now operational

The second incineration plant that became operational at Vairapalayam in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Monday.
| Photo Credit: M. GOVARTHAN

The City Corporation’s second incineration plant, with a capacity to process 25 tons per day (TPD) of non-biodegradable waste, became operational at Vairapalayam.

There are around 1.69 lakh households and 27,386 commercial establishments in the city, collectively generating about 160 tonnes of solid waste daily. Of this, 60 to 70 tonnes consist of dry waste, including plastic, metals, electronics and thermocol, which cannot be disposed of conventionally. Degradable waste, such as vegetable waste, is processed at 19 micro composting centres and converted into fertilizers, while the remaining waste undergoes bio-mining at the Vendipalayam compost yard.

To address the non-biodegradable waste challenge, the civic body established a 25 TPD incineration plant at Vairapalayam under the Smart City Mission Phase I at a cost of ₹1.60 crore. The plant became fully operational on November 28, 2022. Encouraged by its success, the Corporation proposed a second plant, construction of which began in 2023 and was recently completed. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the new plant during his visit to Erode on December 20, 2024.

The Phase II plant, also with a capacity of 25 TPD, burns waste at 1,000 degrees Celsius. The heat generated during incineration is reused to sustain the process, and the resulting pure carbon ash, which is environmentally safe, is disposed of in the open. The plant was built at a cost of ₹1.70 crore and is now operational.

A senior Corporation engineer told The Hindu that both plants are fully operational, enabling the city to incinerate 40% of its daily non-biodegradable waste. “The civic body now excels in scientific management of of waste,” he added.