Tiruppur plans bio-CNG & waste-to-energy plants to manage city waste

Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation in Tamil Nadu is mulling to build a bio-CNG plant and a regional waste-to-energy facility as long-term solutions to address municipal solid waste management. This has been revealed in a status report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone.

The proposed bio-CNG plant will process 200 tonnes of solid waste per day at a site in Palladam and is estimated to cost Rs 57.84 crore. The project is proposed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. A regional waste-to-energy plant is also planned jointly with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation and is expected to be established within the next two years.

Tiruppur District Collector Manish Narnaware submitted the report in response to a case filed by environmental activist Satish Kumar over pollution caused by municipal waste dumping in abandoned quarries in Pongupalayam, Tiruppur North Taluk.

According to the filed report, dumping of municipal waste in the abandoned quarries has been completely stopped. Waste that had already been deposited at the sites has been stabilised with protective soil cover to control odour and prevent vector breeding, following an inspection by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on September 12, 2026.

The corporation generates around 574 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily across its 60 wards. The waste is currently handled through 24 micro composting centres, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) with a capacity of 50 tonnes per day and a 15-tonne-per-day bio-methanisation plant treating food and hotel waste.

Around 15 tonnes of poultry waste and 10 tonnes of fish and hotel waste are also diverted daily to authorised private handlers and piggeries. Two bulk waste generators process another 75 tonnes per day.

As per one estimate, the city generates about 258 tonnes bio-waste a day.

Three additional MRFs, each with a capacity of 150 tonnes per day, have been tendered at 15-Velampalayam, Kovilvazhi and Sundamedu and are expected to be commissioned within two to three months.

The official held that a Detailed Project Report will be prepared for scientific bio-mining of legacy waste and leachate treatment at the quarry sites after receiving a technical feasibility report from an expert team of Anna University’s Centre of Environmental Studies.