Over 40,000 saplings planted at Vellalore dumpyard in Coimbatore last year

More than 40,000 saplings have been planted and are being maintained at the Vellalore dumpyard in Coimbatore city as part of measures aimed at protecting the environment.

According to the Coimbatore Corporation, around 41,850 saplings have been planted over an extent of 41 acres within the dumpyard premises and along its boundary areas since April 2025.. The plantation includes 64 varieties of native tree species. The saplings are being systematically watered and maintained to ensure their survival and growth.

Officials said the plantation drive forms part of a wider initiative to conserve natural resources and improve environmental conditions across the city. Similar plantation works are being carried out at government office premises, school campuses, parks under the Corporation, and along roadsides in various locations.

As part of its waste management initiatives at Vellalore, the civic body has executed a concession agreement with a private concessionaire for the establishment of a 250-tonne-per-day Bio-CNG plant at the dumpyard under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) public–private partnership model. The agreement was signed on August 6, 2025, and the foundation stone for the project was laid on August 24, 2025.

The proposed Bio-CNG facility is intended to process segregated biodegradable waste and generate renewable energy in line with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. In addition, the Corporation has planned a waste-to-energy facility to process non-recyclable waste and reduce the volume of material requiring disposal.

Official sources said a sanitary landfill is also proposed at the Vellalore site for the safe and regulated disposal of inert and non-recoverable waste that cannot be processed through recycling, composting, Bio-CNG or waste-to-energy facilities. Designed in accordance with Central Pollution Control Board guidelines, the landfill will include systems for leachate management, landfill gas control and environmental monitoring, aimed at preventing open dumping and protecting soil, water and air quality.