At a time when waste management is a challenge for civic authorities, the Ullal CMC in Dakshina Kannada has taken up a novel method of converting organic waste from households and markets into manure and using the same to grow the vegetables.
The concrete bins used to convert organic waste into manure have been placed behind the CMC building and a model farm by cultivating ridge gourd has been developed using the thermally insulated compartments of unused refrigerators.
Already, ridge gourds have been harvested twice and distributed among the staff, civic workers and councillors.
The unused refrigerators once lying discarded with the scrap dealers act as eco-friendly pots to grow vegetables. Progressive farmer Vijay Uliya along with Kishor of Roshni Nilaya and Vasudeva, a retired teacher have been providing guidance to the CMC.
Vijay Uliya said, “A tonne of organic waste is used to prepare 200 kg of manure. After dumping the organic waste into the concrete bins, chemicals are sprayed to ensure that the area doesn’t stick and is converted into manure. About 15 tonnes of organic waste is generated in Ullal daily. For cultivating vegetables, I have used tender coconut shells on the bottom of the refrigerator along with a layer of soil and manure prepared at the site. To ensure that pests do not harm the crop, red ants are released into the creeper of the ridge gourd. After the ridge gourd, I am planning to grow ash gourd. If maintained well, the refrigerators can last for 10 years.”
CMC Commissioner Rayappa who is spearheading the drive told DH, “We want to ensure that no waste reaches the dump yard in Pacchanady from Ullal. Already, awareness is being created among the public on segregating the waste and we have asked the civic workers to collect only segregated waste. We want to start preparing manure from kitchen waste in every ward and also in households and follow the model of growing vegetables for healthy living.”
“Already, five unused pre-cast concrete pump houses have been used in the CMC jurisdiction to convert the kitchen waste into manure. In addition, SHG members have also started the process in their houses. A campaign to consider waste as useful wealth will be started across the CMC. Further, we have asked Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V to sanction a proposal for the purchase of machinery to speed up the process of converting organic waste into manure. Using the machines, at least 100 kg of waste can be directly converted into manure daily. The CMC has prepared a proposal for five such machines.”
The green initiative aims at making the CMC jurisdiction into a zero-waste city within six months, he added.
The deputy commissioner has also directed the CMC to use the dry waste collected to generate income. At least two and a half tonne of dry waste is collected daily, which will be segregated and sold, said the CMC commissioner.