BENGALURU: Residents of Koramangala 3rd Block have pulled off a waste processing feat in a city struggling to clear its garbage.
They have set up a compost unit as part of a campaign they call ‘WOW’. The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of Koramangala 3rd Block initiated work on the unit way back in 2011.
A leaf compost unit came up in 2013, and inspired by its success, this RWA is taking up more civic responsibilities. It will soon launch a campaign against the use of plastic.
Four types of waste are collected in the neighbourhood: wet, dry, electronic and sanitary. Dry leaves from the parks and streets are taken by pourakarmikas to the unit for composting.
Anil Chinnaiah, Secretary of the RWA, said, “A pile of leaves dumped in a corner contributes to the garbage. The whole idea behind the unit was to help the civic bodies keep the area clean.”
In 2015, the association collected 75 tonnes of dry waste. In January alone, the collection came to about 45 tonnes.
The RWA spends Rs 50,000 on the unit and its staff. “During summer, the load of dry leaves is bigger. We have told the public and the pourakarmikas not to burn garbage and as it adds to air pollution,” he said.
Many nurseries and individuals buy the compost. Indo-American Hybrid Seeds has been a customer since 2013 and buys 4 to 6 tonnes of leaf compost every year. Individuals from Yelahanka, Sarjapura and Hosur Road buy compost for their kitchen gardens.
Social networking websites have helped spread the word about the leaf compost unit.
M J Yogesh, Assistant Executive Engineer, Kormangala Sub-Division, BBMP, described the residents as ‘trendsetters.’
“Earlier, the RWA had adopted a park in a bad shape and built a nice walking track and relaxation centre. Even the ground here is maintained by them,” he said.
Compost in Two Varieties
How does the Koramangala unit make compost?
Dry leaves are first put into a shredder. The powder is then mixed with cow-dung and graded as two types. The soft variety is used for pots, and terrace and kitchen gardens. The hard kind is used for big trees. Little leaves and twigs are priced at `4 a kg, while compost that looks like tea power comes for `8. It is sold in packs of 5 and 10 kg.
Where to buy
Compost is sold at a park on 12th Main, near the Koramangala BDA Complex.