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| Prof.Mathew P.John, Peermade Development Society, Peermade, Idukki Ph: 04869-232447 |
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Earlier,
municipal waste was a problem to be solved for the Kattappana Panchayat.
Today, the same waste is a raw material for producing compost,
which the Panchayat sells at a profit and uses the proceeds to fund its
developmental activities. What
has changed a problem into an opportunity?
Perhaps the intervention of an NGO?
Perhaps the willingness of the Panchayat to try out new things?
Or perhaps both?
It
was Prof. Mathew P.John of Peermade Development Society, with similar
experience in other towns, who designed the compost making unit here also.
The salient features include bringing all waste to a common place,
sorting the same into biodegradable and otherwise, feeding the convertible
waste to earthworms and reaping compost, selling the product and using the
profit to fund the Panchayat’s developmental activities.
The
first step was obtaining on lease 1-acre land near Pulianmala.
This land was fortified against rodent attack by building proper
compound wall. Inside, 34
pits of dimension 25 ft x 3 ft were built under the supervision of Prof.
John. But that alone wasn’t sufficient for running the unit.
The pits had to have moisture content always in them.
For facilitating this, the Panchayat built 2 rain water harvesting
units of 55000 litres each. The
water from this source is sufficient to meet the requirements for 1 year.
750kg
of waste generated by the Panchayat per day is sufficient to fill half a
pit. Thus in about 70 days,
the pits are filled up. However,
in 45 days the waste gets converted into compost and the cycle is
repeated.
The
Panchayat has entered into a 10-year agreement with the Society whereby
half the profit will be given to the Panchayat and the other half used by
the Society to popularize organic farming in the Panchayat.
Inside
the compost yard
Courtesy: Karshakashree, November 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
