JOIN USOn October 2, Kurnadu Gram Panchayat in Mudipu will become the first village in the State to have a biodegradable waste unit where the garbage will be segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The biodegradable waste will be sprayed with a microbial solution called OS1 that is cocktail of five types of bacteria that will convert the waste into odourless, nutrient-rich compost.
“We have formed a forum that will collect waste from shops, segregate it at the base levels and deliver the waste to its disposal units,” A C Bhandary, member of Zilla Panchayat from Kurnadu told Deccan Herald.
The 203 Gram Panchayats have been divided into 67 ‘A’, 66 ‘B’ and 70 ‘C’ grade villages depending on size and population. The ‘A’ grade villages will have the disposal units where as the ‘B’ and ‘C’ grades have to manage the biodegradable waste by land filling, said Total Sanitation Campaign Coordinator Manjula G. Of the 67 ‘A’ grade villages, disposal units have already been proposed in 35 villages that are expected to come up by the end of December, added Manjula.
“The waste disposal units project is the first of its kind in the State to be implemented in the rural areas. It's a great way to manage waste and the Gram Panchayats can also earn some income with this eco-friendly initiative,” DK Zilla Panchayat CEO P Shivshankar told to Deccan Herald. DK ZP is paying Rs two lakh to each village that comes with the waste disposable units. The ZP has earmarked Rs 80 lakh for the purpose, he added.
Plastic Soudhas
In order to cope with the non-biodegradable waste, 50 Grama Panchayats have set up ‘Plastic Soudhas’ - huts that have separate bins in which people deposit waste such as plastic, glass and metals. There are plans to install the units in all the GPs by March 2011, said Manjula. Complimenting residents of villages on their environmental awareness and initiative, Manjula sid the Hosangadi village alone had constructed 18 such ‘Soudhas” on thier own.