Chennai: About half of the biomining work at the Perungudi dumpyard has been completed, and a new composting facility at the site is expected to be ready by June 30.GCC Commissioner Dr GS Sameeran said the biomining project in the 225-acre dumpyard, started in 2021 at a cost of ₹350 crore, has so far reclaimed 94 acres of land. The dumpyard has been divided into six remediation packages, of which packages 3, 4 and 5 have been completed. He directed the officials to expedite the remaining works under the second phase.The second phase of the project costing ₹53.6 crore involves processing of 5.5 lakh cubic meters of old waste. The reclaimed site is also being prepared for new waste-processing infrastructure, with construction of a 100 tonne per day capacity compost plant expected to be completed by June 30.Residents groups said the progress of work has been delayed due to the long-running dispute. There was a two-year arbitration issue involving a contractor, and after a long delay, work resumed, said A Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents Welfare Associations. “For the last two years, officials have been saying that work is in progress. There is some fencing activity near the Ramsar site. Officials should ensure that the site is safe from dumping and encroachment,” he said.Waste management experts said the compost plant can help only if source separation is improved. The new composting facility in Perungudi is a positive step and is better than relying on large-scale mixed-waste processing plants, where waste is incinerated, making the process more toxic, said Geo Damin, a former state solid waste management committee member. “Decentralized systems are more secure and more sustainable,” he said, adding that such facilities, however, can function effectively only if door-to-door collection and source separation are properly implemented. “Without household-level separation, even composting plants will struggle to operate efficiently,” he said.