Generating revenue out of garbage
The Hindu - Staff Correspondent
Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation uses vegetable waste to make vermicompost
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT: Sacks containing vermicompost made out of waste.
DHARWAD: What can the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) do with 300 tonnes of waste generated everyday?
The HDMC has converted the "vegetable garbage", generated daily at the vegetable market in Dharwad, into a revenue earning vermicompost.
It was started as a pilot project in January by the HDMC in association with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
The corporation has sold 46 tonnes of vermicompost, worth over Rs. 1 lakh, to Cotton Corporation of India and five tonnes to Khadi Gramodyoga Sangha in Hubli.About 300 tonnes of solid waste, including debris, is generated daily in the twin cities. Of this, five tonnes is vegetable waste generated at the Dharwad market. The HDMC used 100 tonnes of vegetable waste for the pilot project. It yielded 60 tonnes of vermicompost.
The HDMC made use of the existing staff for the project and the University of Agricultural Sciences provided the technical information.
After the success of the pilot project, the HDMC is now contemplating on inviting NGOs to set up similar vermicompost units in the twin cities. "Till now we have not used the vegetable waste generated in Hubli market. If any NGO is interested, the HDMC might permit them to set up vermicompost unit on build-operate-own-transfer basis," A.C. Swamy, Health Officer, who was instrumental in starting the project, said.
New unit
The HDMC is also planning to set up a vermicompost unit of international standard at University of Agricultural Sciences. An action plan has been chalked out and the project is estimated to cost around Rs. 1 crore.
The corporation has plans to implement the project in a phased manner.
Through the project the HDMC plans to transform 20 tonnes of solid waste into vermicompost everyday. Once the project is implemented, the HDMC will be able to convert about 7,500 metric tonnes of solid waste, generated in the twin cities in a year, into vermicompost.
The move would help maintain cleanliness in the city and would also check pollution level, said Dr. Swamy.
Citizens have a major role to play in this regard, he said. "So far we have only used the vegetable waste generated in the market.
"The waste generated from residential areas has remained untouched because of the problem of segregation. If people cooperate and segregate the waste at the generating end and reduce the use of plastic, the project would be a huge success," he said.
The vermicompost manufactured by HDMC is in demand.
Farmers of Kerur village in Bagalkot district and those around Dharwad have purchased the vermicompost in large quantity, officials said.
Keeping this in view, the HDMC has set up a retail-selling unit at Azad Upavana in Dharwad.
The vermicompost is being sold here for Rs. 2.50 per kg.
The Hindu - Staff Correspondent
Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation uses vegetable waste to make vermicompost
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT: Sacks containing vermicompost made out of waste.
DHARWAD: What can the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) do with 300 tonnes of waste generated everyday?
The HDMC has converted the "vegetable garbage", generated daily at the vegetable market in Dharwad, into a revenue earning vermicompost.
It was started as a pilot project in January by the HDMC in association with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
The corporation has sold 46 tonnes of vermicompost, worth over Rs. 1 lakh, to Cotton Corporation of India and five tonnes to Khadi Gramodyoga Sangha in Hubli.About 300 tonnes of solid waste, including debris, is generated daily in the twin cities. Of this, five tonnes is vegetable waste generated at the Dharwad market. The HDMC used 100 tonnes of vegetable waste for the pilot project. It yielded 60 tonnes of vermicompost.
The HDMC made use of the existing staff for the project and the University of Agricultural Sciences provided the technical information.
After the success of the pilot project, the HDMC is now contemplating on inviting NGOs to set up similar vermicompost units in the twin cities. "Till now we have not used the vegetable waste generated in Hubli market. If any NGO is interested, the HDMC might permit them to set up vermicompost unit on build-operate-own-transfer basis," A.C. Swamy, Health Officer, who was instrumental in starting the project, said.
New unit
The HDMC is also planning to set up a vermicompost unit of international standard at University of Agricultural Sciences. An action plan has been chalked out and the project is estimated to cost around Rs. 1 crore.
The corporation has plans to implement the project in a phased manner.
Through the project the HDMC plans to transform 20 tonnes of solid waste into vermicompost everyday. Once the project is implemented, the HDMC will be able to convert about 7,500 metric tonnes of solid waste, generated in the twin cities in a year, into vermicompost.
The move would help maintain cleanliness in the city and would also check pollution level, said Dr. Swamy.
Citizens have a major role to play in this regard, he said. "So far we have only used the vegetable waste generated in the market.
"The waste generated from residential areas has remained untouched because of the problem of segregation. If people cooperate and segregate the waste at the generating end and reduce the use of plastic, the project would be a huge success," he said.
The vermicompost manufactured by HDMC is in demand.
Farmers of Kerur village in Bagalkot district and those around Dharwad have purchased the vermicompost in large quantity, officials said.
Keeping this in view, the HDMC has set up a retail-selling unit at Azad Upavana in Dharwad.
The vermicompost is being sold here for Rs. 2.50 per kg.
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