CHENNAI: The city corporation has found eco-friendly ways of earning revenue through solid waste. The 5.85 lakh kg of manure produced in its composting centres has earned it ₹64.1 lakh since May 27 this year.
The micro-composting centres across Greater Chennai Corporation’s 15 zones can process up to 600 tonnes of wet garbage, kitchen and vegetable waste a day. In addition, the civic body has a windrow compost yard in Madhavaram, where 100 tonnes of bio-degradable waste is processed and sold to The Tamil Nadu Cooperative Marketing Federation.
Chief engineer (solid waste management) N Mahesan said the existing infrastructure including the Madhavaram unit was helping reduce waste going into landfills, apart from generating revenue. “People can buy manure from division offices. They can segregate and compost waste and use manure to create terrace gardens and planting.”
The corporation holds exclusive camps every week.
S Rukmani of AWCEM foundation, which works on solid waste management and teaches segregation lessons at corporation schools, said people can place seven pots or even buckets in homes for composting.
“Fill one pot with coco-pit, and put wet waste such as vegetable waste, egg shells or fruit waste, and layer it with coco-pit every day. So, seven pots will be covered for seven days and do it for four weeks. Keep it in a dry place with adequate light. In 45 days, the manure will be ready,” she said. Segregation and composting must be extended to all corporation and panchayat schools where mid-day meal schemes generate a lot of wet waste.
Geeta Ganesh, RWA secretary of Velachery West-AGS Colony, said segregation should be enforced in all houses.
“They should do field inspections and ensure segregation while collection. The corporation also must not mix segregated waste with other once collected.”
