Source : The Hindu Date : 18.06.2009
Lessons on solid waste management
Staff Reporter
| Officials and representatives of various organisations attend training programme |
Photo: Singam Venktaramana 
Going organic: An engineer examining vermicompost at a unit as part of a training programme of Engineering Staff College of India at Panagal in Nalgonda on Wednesday. —
NALGONDA: A delegation comprising the engineers of various municipal bodies, Pollution Control Board and other agencies from different States visited Nalgonda municipality on Wednesday as part of a training programme on Municipal Solid Waste Management.
The study tour was organised as an integral part of the ongoing five-day training programme being organised by the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI) for the engineers. The engineers from Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmi, Maharastra, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, and other States visited various wards in the town and later the vermicompost unit at Panagal.
Interaction
The delegates interacted with the residents at the seventh ward and inquired about the household waste disposal system. During their visit to the compost unit, the municipal officials concerned explained about the method of house to house collection, transportation, segregation and processing of the waste into compost being followed in the municipality.
Municipal sanitary inspector B. Janardhan Reddy said that the compost unit was set up last year to convert the waste into vermicompost. About 3,000 kgs of vermicompost is being produced at the unit per month, he said and added that the vermicompost is being supplied to the farmers for using the same as organic manure in cultivation.
Some of the members of the team suggested that two bins should be supplied to each household for collection of organic and non-organic waste separately as a means of source segregation.
ESCI Assistant Professor and Course Director G. Venkatesham told The Hindu that the training programme aims to familiarise the participants on the scientific management of municipal solid waste to protect public health and environment.
“Effective management of municipal solid waste is the major challenge being faced by all the municipalities in the country and it holds the key to prevent environmental pollution”, he said.