R. Lakshman, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation and Collector VR Subbulaxmi inspected the bio-mining of the accumulated wastes on Wednesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The Vellore Corporation on Wednesday started work to completely remove tonnes of waste that had been deposited along the dry Palar river for many years, off the Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH 48), to ensure free flow of excess rainwater in the river during monsoon and to prevent inundation of residential areas along the watercourse.
Collector VR Subbulaxmi on Wednesday, accompanied by Vellore Corporation Commissioner R. Lakshman, inspected the first bio-mining of the accumulated waste in the river. Corporation officials said the project will help restore the overall space of the existing riverbed for free flow of rainwater during monsoon.
It will also help prevent groundwater contamination in its vicinity. “The bio-mining work, which will be completed by mid-2027, will cost the exchequer ₹11.50 crore. It will help restore the original flow of the river within the corporation limits,” Mr. Lakshmanan, Corporation Commissioner, told The Hindu.
Currently, the company maintains two large open dumps at Saduperi Lake near Central Prison and Palar River. Of these, the lake has the largest covered area for garbage storage with approximately five acres.
The landfill site along the river is spread over two acres where domestic and commercial waste from zone – I and zone – 2 of the civic body is deposited. The company consists of 60 departments in its four zones with a population of eight thousand people.
In terms of volume of waste generated, the Saduperi lake area has around 80 tonnes of waste, while around Palar river around 45 tonnes of waste is deposited.
Under the plan, the waste deposited in the river will be bio-mined with non-biodegradable waste like PET bottles to be sent to cement plants in Ariyalur. Biodegradable waste will be recycled to produce organic manure, which will be given to local farmers at a nominal cost.
Currently, around 240 tons of waste is generated daily within the limits of the citizens. Most of the waste is treated daily in micro-composting centers (MCC). The civic association has 50 MCCs at 29 waste management sites.
Published – 06 May 2026 22:59 IST
