Villagers of Vellakalpatti to protest against proposed waste-to-energy project

The villagers of Vellakalpatti and surrounding villages announced that they will not allow the implementation of the waste-to-energy project in their locality, and are planning to stage protests and pass resolutions in gram sabha meetings against the project.

On September 2, under the Rule 110, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced, in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, that a waste-to-energy project will be implemented in Salem Corporation at a cost of ₹291 crore to generate 10 megawatt (MW) of electricity.

Prior to this, on July 29, 2026, in a council meeting held at Salem Corporation, councillors from DMK and AIADMK had already opposed the project and passed a resolution by cancelling the agenda to establish this facility. However, the Corporation and district administration identified 92.49 acres at Vellakalpatti in Jahir Ammapalayam village for the project.