THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The City Corporation has plans to set up an organic waste convertor here, a model successfully put into practice by the Thrissur Corporation. It will soon be submitting a proposal to Suchitwa Mission to set up the convertors at eight locations - the six NGO quarters, Karamana market and Tsunami Colony - in the city.
The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 1.35 crore. “The plan is to deploy Kudumbashree workers to manage the plants. The final output of segregated organic waste would be compost, that can be sold,” said Health Standing Committee chairperson S Pushpalatha.
For over a year, the mechanism has been functioning in Thrissur Corporation. Four tonnes of waste is managed every day in the machine, installed at a cost of Rs 98 lakh at Sakthan Thampuran market. “The waste accumulated in various parts of Thrissur is carried to the organic waste convertor after carrying out segregation at the spot where it is generated. When the quantity is than four tonnes, waste from the market is also taken, which, otherwise, is sold at a nominal rate every day,” said Rajan J Pallan, Thrissur Mayor.
How it Works
Organic waste to be put into the convertor is selected through minute segregation. In the convertor, it is grinded and a wet matter is produced. This is collected in trays through a conveyor belt, mixed with saw dust and dried. Leachate generation, therefore, does not happen. These trays are then transferred and kept in separate shelves. A bio-inoculum powder is sprinkled on the matter to hasten the process of conversion into manure. In two to three days, the material will turn so dry and a water sprinkler is arranged to keep it wet for 10 days and on the eleventh day, the manure is taken out.
The convertor has the facility to grind 25 kilograms of waste in 10 to 12 minutes. “The final product resembles a cake and it can be crushed and used in powdered form. The manure is then taken to Kerala Agricultural University in Mannuthy,” said Balasubramanian V C, health supervisor of Thrissur Corporation.
The light inorganic materials left after the minute segregation are burned in an incinerator.