JOIN USRMV Extn 'shows' the way in handling waste
Residents of RMV Extension in the City have shown the way in managing household garbage.
The Scientific Handing of Waste Society (Shows), set up by the residents of 400 houses in the locality in 1995, has inked a pact with the Palike on segregation and management of garbage generated in the area.
As per the agreement, for the past ten years, the Palike has been giving an annual grant of Rs three lakh towards salaries of five workers who collect garbage from every house in the morning and segregate them, said Shalini Shenoi, initiator of the Society.
She said that these workers segregate cardboard, paper and plastic waste and sell them to dealers for recycling, which fetch them close to Rs 600 a month. The biomedical waste, including sanitary pads and diapers, other wastes such as coconut shells and garden waste are given to the Palike, she said.
Shows has been handling wet waste in a very scientific manner. Even leachate (the toxic liquid emitted from the wet garbage) is discharged into the sanitary system. The workers have been trained to segregate kitchen waste and dump them into tanks. Solution of effective micro-organisms, jaggery and old manure are spread in layers to prepare the compost.
The Society has also set up a facility of blowing air for the aerobic process to check growth of pathogens in the compost. The tank is covered with a mesh tray with charcoal spread across, to absorb foul smell emnating from the compost pits. The Society is able to generate close to 250 kg of manure every month, which is given to the Palike for its gardening purpose.
Ashwath Narayan, the supervisor of the segregation centre, said the only problem they face is that despite educating individual households about separating wet and dry garbage, only 40 of the 400 houses follow the method. The workers too complain that they find glass pieces while segregating waste.
Shows manages to generate close to 12,000 kg of garbage a month and only 3,000-odd kg are actually disposed of to the Palike dump, said Renuka, a member of the Society.
“It is every citizen’s duty to reduce the quantity of garbage generated and to handle it scientifically, and not find an easier option of dumping it in our neighbour’s backyard,” she added.