Infra Engineers India Pvt Ltd, a Chennai-based infrastructure consultancy and project management firm, will monitor the contentious Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant at Kodungaiyur and supervise privatised waste collection in two Chennai zones – Royapuram (zone 5) and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (zone 6). The appointments were cleared at the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) council meeting on August 26, with contracts worth over Rs 18 crore.
The two projects have faced strong opposition: the privatisation of waste collection from conservancy workers demanding permanent employment under GCC, and the WtE project from North Chennai residents and civic groups, citing health and environmental risks.
Zones 5 and 6 were privatised after a resolution in April, with Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd winning the contract on June 10. Following a Madras High Court order on August 20 allowing outsourcing despite workers’ petitions, GCC named Infra Engineers as the Independent Engineer to oversee Ramky’s work.
The firm will be responsible for monitoring waste collection, supervising transportation to landfills and processing facilities, ensuring contract compliance and conducting periodic reviews. The contract is valued at Rs 9.59 crore for a five-year term, with payments shared 50:50 between GCC and the concessionaire.
Three firms bid for the role of Independent Engineer — Infra Engineers, MSV International and Pollucare Engineers — but only Infra Engineers met all requirements and qualified.
Infra Engineers will also supervise the proposed integrated waste management facility at Kodungaiyur, which includes a Bio-CNG plant, composting unit, Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and the controversial Waste-to-Energy plant. The project concessionaire, Delhi MWS Solutions Ltd, holds a 25-year Public Private Partnership contract for the site.
For the Independent Engineer role, GCC evaluated two bidders — Infra Engineers and Tandon Urban Solutions. Infra Engineers scored 97.75% against Tandon’s 79.99% and was awarded the consultancy contract at Rs 8.52 crore. Like the waste collection contract, the costs will be shared equally between GCC and the concessionaire.
Both Delhi MSW (operators to run waste collection or facilities) and Infra Engineers (independent overseer to watch over those operators on its behalf) are appointed by GCC through separate tenders.
The Kodungaiyur dumpyard spans 352 acres and, along with Perungudi, receives a significant share of Chennai’s 5,300 tonnes of daily waste. Ramky Enviro Engineers is also among the lowest bidders for the WtE project itself. Researchers warn that contrary to official estimates of 300 MT of fly ash, the incinerator could generate 500–800 MT, while residents highlight risks of toxic emissions and continue to demand that the dumpyard be shut and replaced with sustainable waste management alternatives.