Tenders floated for construction of automated material recovery facility at Ariyamangalam dump yard

Tiruchi City Corporation has invited tenders to construct an automated material recovery facility (AMRF) centre on the retrieved land at the Ariyamangalam dump yard in Tiruchi to streamline the processing of non-biodegradable waste.

A sum of ₹25.40 crore has been sanctioned under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 to set up the facility which could handle about 250 tonnes of waste per day.

The facility would be set up to segregate the dry waste into recyclable, non-recyclable, inert, and refuse-derived fuel, which will be sold to scrap dealers and factories for reuse.

At present, the collection, segregation, transportation, and processing of solid waste generated in all 65 wards in the city has been outsourced to a private agency. On average, the city generates about 470 tonnes of waste per day, and around 75% of it was claimed to be segregated at source, which consists of wet waste, dry waste, sanitary waste, and domestic hazardous waste. The non-biodegradable dry waste is transported to the Ariyamangalam dump yard for processing. While the wet waste is processed and produced as compost at Micro Composting Centres (MCC).

A tender has been floated to find a suitable contractor to construct the plant under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode for scientifically segregating, processing and disposing of dry waste. The plant will be built in design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) mode. After 21 years, the contractor will return the assets to the civic body.

According to the tender notification, the last date for submission of proposals will be March 25. The project work is expected to commence over the next few months after the contract is awarded to the successful bidder.

As of now, the Corporation has reclaimed around 40 acres of the 47.7 acres under Phase I and II of the biomining project. Phase III to remove the waste below the surface level and the remaining legacy waste will commence soon.

Meanwhile, work on setting up a bio-CNG plant, and a construction and demolition waste recycling plant at the Ariyamanagalam dump yard would be initiated, an official said.