The Hindu            13.11.2013

Corporation to compost wet waste in R.S. Puram

Close on the heels of launching the segregated waste collection system in a few streets in R.S. Puram (Ward 23) under the ‘Shunya’ zero waste management scheme, the Coimbatore Corporation has made the next move: processing wet waste.

According to Corporation Commissioner G. Latha, the civic body had identified a vacant plot west of Thadagam Road in R.S. Puram to process the wet waste — kitchen waste and other degradable items. The waste the workers collect from residents who have begun segregating wastes will go to the compost yard, where it would be turned into manure. The Corporation was in talks with an NGO in this regard.

This would help the Corporation in more ways than one — reduce the quantity of waste taken to the Vellalore dump yard and also reduce fuel expenditure. Plus, the waste generated locally would be processed locally.

As and when the Corporation perfected the model, it would extend it to other wards. At present, the civic body was keen on strengthening the zero waste management model in Ward 23. As part of the strengthening measure, on Tuesday the Corporation had honoured residents of T.V. Samy Road (West), Ponnurangam Road (West), Venkatasamy Road (West), Periyasamy Road (West) and Bashyakarulu Road (West). Thirty residents from the aforementioned streets had segregated the wastes as per the Corporation’s instructions.

The civic body also honoured the conservancy workers who played their part in ensuring that the residents of the aforementioned streets segregated their wastes, a Corporation release said.

The workers sold the recyclable dry wastes they collected to the ITC under its Wealth Out of Waste (WOW) project and made money at Rs. 3 a kg.

Ms. Latha said that a few dedicated workers like Nagaraj have thus far collected around 1,000 kg plastic and paper waste.