The Greater Chennai Corporation says it collects around 6,150 tonnes of garbage from the city every day. Almost all of it still ends up at two dumpyards, Kodungaiyur in the north and Perungudi in the south, each of which has been in use for more than 35 years.
The figures below come mainly from the Corporation’s own solid waste management page, with project numbers from recent DT Next reporting. They show how much waste the city produces, where it goes, how much is processed, and how much old waste is being dug out of the two landfills.
Daily waste and where it goes
The Corporation’s Solid Waste Management department page gives these figures. The page carries no date, so treat them as the Corporation’s current published position rather than a figure for a specific year.
| Item | Figure (GCC page) |
|---|---|
| Garbage collected per day | About 6,150 tonnes |
| Kodungaiyur dumpsite: area | About 269 acres |
| Kodungaiyur: waste received per day | 2,600 to 2,800 tonnes |
| Perungudi dumpsite: area | About 200 acres (listed as restricted) |
| Perungudi: waste received per day | 2,400 to 2,600 tonnes |
| Transfer stations | 2 |
| Construction and demolition waste processed | 495 tonnes (at both sites) |
The two dumpsite ranges together add up to about 5,000 to 5,400 tonnes a day, less than the 6,150-tonne collection figure. The page does not explain the difference. Other estimates run higher: a DT Next report from December 2024 put the city’s generation at over 7,600 tonnes a day, with more than 5,300 tonnes going to the two dumpyards.
How much is processed before the dump
Most of what the Corporation processes is wet waste handled in small, neighbourhood plants. The design capacities listed on the GCC page are:
| Facility type | Number | Design capacity (tonnes per day) |
|---|---|---|
| Decentralised compost plants | 196 | 142.37 |
| Biogas plants | 23 | 8.94 |
| BARC bio-electric plants | 5 | 11.50 |
Taken together, those plants are designed for about 163 tonnes a day, a small fraction of the daily load. Thin plastics are baled at five locations, and two more waste-to-energy units are being built at the Perambur slaughterhouse. Material recovery facilities, bio-CNG and windrow composting appear on the page only as new proposals. In the same December 2024 DT Next report, an activist from Poovulagin Nanbargal estimated that the city’s processing capacity was being used at only about 26%.
Digging out the old waste
Decades of dumping left both sites holding millions of tonnes of legacy waste. Biomining separates this into soil-like material, recyclables and combustible fractions so the land can be reclaimed.
- Perungudi: the GCC page says biomining is in progress and 100 acres have been reclaimed. A June 2024 DT Next report put the legacy waste at no less than 35 lakh cubic metres over about 250 acres, with a project cost of ₹350 crore and a deadline that had slipped from March 2024.
- Kodungaiyur: according to DT Next in July 2025, the site holds 66.52 lakh tonnes of legacy waste over 252 acres. The ₹640.83 crore project was split into six packages, with contracts awarded in February 2024, at a processing cost of ₹963.29 a tonne.
| Kodungaiyur biomining funding | Amount |
|---|---|
| Union government | ₹160.21 crore |
| State government | ₹102.53 crore |
| Greater Chennai Corporation (including safeguards) | ₹385.64 crore |
| Of which: KfW assistance | ₹180 crore |
| Of which: green bond | ₹205.64 crore |
Across both sites, the Corporation aims to recover more than 477 acres, the July 2025 report said.
The people and vehicles behind it
The GCC page lists a conservancy workforce of 18,845. That includes 4,727 permanent workers, 4,460 temporary workers engaged through self-help groups under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission, 463 others on panchayat and consolidated pay, and 9,195 employed by the private contractors Ramky (1,918) and Urbaser (7,277). About 5,400 tricycles are used for doorstep collection, and the Corporation says open lorries have been replaced with compactors.
The incinerator debate
A proposed waste-to-energy plant at Kodungaiyur designed to burn about 2,100 tonnes of mixed waste a day has drawn objections. In December 2024, resident groups and environmental activists petitioned the Corporation Commissioner at the time, J. Kumaragurubaran, arguing that more segregation and processing would cut landfill loads without burning waste. The Commissioner said the petition would be examined. Check the Corporation’s announcements for the current status of the tender.
Quick answers
How much garbage does Chennai produce a day?
GCC says it collects around 6,150 tonnes daily. A 2024 news estimate put generation above 7,600 tonnes.
Where does Chennai’s garbage go?
Mostly to Kodungaiyur (2,600 to 2,800 tonnes a day) and Perungudi (2,400 to 2,600 tonnes a day).
How much legacy waste is at Kodungaiyur?
66.52 lakh tonnes, according to DT Next’s July 2025 report on the biomining project.
How much land has been reclaimed at Perungudi?
100 acres, according to the GCC solid waste page.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Solid Waste Management Department (Greater Chennai Corporation)
- Chennai Corporation to raise Rs 205 crore via green bond for Kodungaiyur bio-mining (DT Next, July 2025)
- Bio-mining process in Perungudi landfill to be finished by August-end (DT Next, June 2024)
- Scrap waste-to-energy incinerator project at Kodungaiyur dumpyard, residents urge (DT Next, December 2024)
