The decades-long wait for a waste-free Puthiyappu is nearing its end as Vadakara municipality is set to reclaim the trenching ground, with the bio-mining project entering its final phase.

Officials said the project at the Puthiyappu trenching ground, aimed at reclaiming land and resolving a long-standing environmental crisis, had reached 93% completion. Land-levelling work (landfilling) would commence immediately upon the conclusion of the bio-mining process.

Since 1961, the Puthiyappu site has served as the primary dumping yard for the municipality’s waste, resulting in massive garbage mounds exceeding six metres in height. This caused severe hardship for residents, who faced intolerable odours and health hazards that made living and dining in their homes nearly impossible.

Out of a total estimated volume of 22,903 cubic meters of legacy waste, 21,208 cubic metres have already been processed. Only 1,600 cubic metres remain. Around 5,532 metric tonnes of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), consisting of combustible materials such as plastic and cloth, have been transported to various cement factories for co-processing. Approximately 165 additional loads of RDF are scheduled to be transported.

The ₹5.60-crore project is being implemented under the aegis of the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP), with financial assistance from the World Bank. The bio-mining operations are being carried out by SMS Company, a Nagpur-based firm specialising in waste remediation.

The primary objective of the project is the environmental remediation of 1.52 acres of land. Once the bio-mining and levelling processes are completed, Vadakara municipality plans to transform the reclaimed land into a “Green Park.”