Chennai’s novel waste management mantra: Converting city’s waste to ash and turning that ash into pavement tiles

The initiative, in which waste is converted into ash and then this ash is used to make colourful tiles, started as a pilot project at one of the city’s landfill sites, but soon it will be soon replicated at larger landfills in other parts of Chennai.

Incinerators turn 10 million tonnes of city’s waste into just 150 kg of ash. (Express)

IN THE past, Chennai had never achieved its goals in waste management. However, a new project that has been running successfully for the past two months could change that record. The initiative, in which waste is converted into ash and then this ash is used to make colourful tiles, started as a pilot project at one of the city’s landfill sites — Manali, which has a capacity to process 10 metric tonne waste a day — but soon it will be soon replicated at larger landfills in other parts of Chennai. G Prakash, Commissioner of the Greater Chennai Corporation is hopes to process larger capacities by September.

“Another incinerator with 50 metric tonne capacity will be operational at Kodungaiyur landfill by May,” Prakash said. Kodungiyur and Perungudi are two of Chennai’s largest landfill sites and they are often blamed for polluting and destroying the city’s groundwater, air and wetlands.

Prakash added that the government will add six more incinerators with 100 mt capacity each, by September. The advantage of this technology is that it turns a great quantity of waste into a small quantity of ash. For instance, 10 mt of waste is turned into just 150 kg ash. But waste management doesn’t just stop here. An add on technology converts the ash residue into beautiful tiles and bricks.

“We haven’t started using these tiles for commercial purpose. Whatever (tiles) are being produced are at present being laid at the recycling plant facility itself to beautify the pavements. We will soon escalate production and find a market,” Prakash said. The corporation also uses a colouring machine to paint the bricks in many other colours.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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