The Hindu 21.08.2013
Putting vegetable waste to good use
The vegetable waste generated in markets controlled by
the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) is not going ‘waste’, as it is being
transported to an animal shelter run by the Mysore Pinjarapole Society.
The consumable vegetables in the waste are segregated and fed to the rescued cattle.
More
than bringing additional revenue, the measure has helped the
corporation to overcome the piling up of waste in markets, which results
in unhygienic surroundings.
The
vegetable waste is collected from the century-old Devaraja Market and
Vani Vilas Market, which are under the control of the MCC, and the
Regulated Market Committee (RMC), a wholesale vegetable market, and
transported every day to the animal shelter on the foothills of the
Chamundi.
The society has nearly 4,000 heads of cattle.
“On
an average, two tonnes of vegetable waste are collected daily from the
markets and the RMC. On some days, the waste generation would be more.
Our aim is to keep the market surroundings clean. As the waste is
collected daily, the vegetables are not spoilt and can be consumed by
the animals,” says Nagaraj, MCC Health Officer (in-charge). Dr. Nagaraj
told
The Hindu
that the job of transporting vegetable waste to the animal shelter had
been outsourced to a self-help group functioning at the Devaraja Market.
The MCC lorries transport the waste, and the initiative was running
well since two years, he said.
Devaraja Market, one
of the biggest markets here, contributes more vegetable waste than any
other market. Nearly one tonne of waste is generated here. Sometimes,
the waste from ‘Bale Mandi’ (plantain market) is also transported.
Farmers
bring farm fresh vegetables to the RMC. Some portion of the produce
(damaged veggies) is discarded as waste, which is transported to the
shelter.
The initiative is a win-win situation for the MCC and the society.
Speaking to
The Hindu
, Devaraja, a representative of Mysore Pinjarapole Society, said the
initiative had helped the society save a little on cattle feed (paddy
straw and other dry feeds).“Vegetable waste is supplied daily to the
shelter and we buy the waste at 35 paisa a kg. The quantum of waste
transported daily varies depending on the availability in the markets,”
he said.
According to Dr. Nagaraj, vegetable waste could be converted into compost but the process takes at least 48 days.
Instead,
it is disposed on a daily basis, generating revenue for those who
transport the same to the animal shelter. “The revenue goes towards the
salaries of the SHG members involved in the initiative and for
transportation cost,” he explained.
The animal
shelter is spread over 24 hectares of land near the Chamundi Hills. It
was established in 1938. The society also keeps dogs, horses, donkeys,
and rabbits.
Cattle rescued from illegal
transportation are brought to the society. Another shelter run by the
society at Udbur on H.D. Kote Road gives shelter to over 600 animals.