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CONVERTING MUNICIPAL WASTE INTO VERMI-COMPOST: THE NORTH PARAVOOR EXAMPLE

2 years ago even a blind man could easily locate the dumping yard of North Paravoor: such was the stench emanating from it.  Today, even a person with normal eyesight will have to look carefully to locate the 2½-acre yard at Vedimara.  For vermi-composting of waste has rendered the yard clean and almost empty.  And the municipality is even planning a garden in part of the yard.

What made the transformation possible?  When the municipality was granted Rs.2.5 lakhs under Urban Compost Scheme, Assistant Director of Agriculture, E.M.Kuriakose thought wanted a sustainable solution to waste management instead of the ‘hire-a-truck-and-dump-the-waste-somewhere’ approach adopted elsewhere.  He could convince the municipality about the efficiency of the scheme and they agreed to provide additional Rs.3.5 lakhs from their fund.

With Agriculture Officer C.K.Mohan leading the activities in the field, the work commenced with clearing of yard.  Later, the furthermost end of the yard was marked for dumping waste brought by the vehicles.  Separate areas were marked for sorting, burning combustible waste and making compost.

Waste brought into the yard is sorted manually into biodegradable and others.  The waste is fed into 15 pits in a 2000sq.ft vermin-composting area.  Specialist earthworms turn the waste into compost in 65 days.

The compost so generated is sold at the rate of Rs.5 per kg.  As the compost is full of earthworms, the buyers get this additional bonus.  Agriculture department has placed order for the entire production for use in the National Watershed Management Project.

Now the municipality is planning to lease part of the yard for banana cultivation.  Perhaps in the near future one would need a signboard to locate the dumping yard.

Courtesy: Nimmy George (text), T.Pradeep Kumar (photo), Karshakashree, June 2000

Contributed by: Administrator

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