KOCHI: At Kadungalloor, a nondescript town near Aluva, a mini-truck can be spotted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, moving quietly, but purposefully, from one house to another. Two messages - ‘Protect air and groundwater’, ‘No contamination to streams, ponds and wells’ - on the vehicle catch the eye of an outsider. For the people there, the vehicle is their solution to a stinking problem and how to deal with it effectively. It has been collecting bio-degradable waste from 150-200 houses from three wards and converts them into a slurry and later into organic manure.
Direct Foodage Collector (DFC), a new technology for treating bio-waste, invented by
Abdusamed P T is becoming a big hit. The fact that there is no foul smell and the waste is being treated then and there itself is a big revelation for the residents. “If you look at the waste collection in Kochi, it is collected and dumped at Brahmapuram, where it lies unattended. Even the waste disposal vehicles emanate such a nasty smell,” Abdusamed, 68, tells Express. After retiring from Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers a decade ago, he dallied with spice grinding business before waste disposal caught his attention a couple of years ago.
Adbusamed says he needs to sign-up at least 400 houses to make the venture effective. A push from the government can help. In fact, he plans to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan this week to discuss about extending the project to more areas.“I have submitted a petition to the Suchitwa Mission and Kochi Corporation seeking financial assistance to increase the reach of the project,” says the innovator. “I will talk to the CM on the same. We have successfully implemented the technology in three wards of Kadungalloor panchayat near Aluva.”
Abdusamed says his DFC has generated 16 tonnes of organic manure in past two months. “The slurry is kept for 20-25 days and it eventually turns into best-quality organic manure,” he says.
DFC was introduced in 200 houses in Kadungalloor on a trial basis for 15 days. The residents were impressed by the machine and hence asked the company to extend the trial period. Each resident shells out a nominal Rs 50 per month to Nexaa Recycling Consortium founded by Abdusamed. He says DFC is 100 per cent eco-friendly and ensures safe disposal of slaughter waste besides vegetable, food and other kitchen refuse. “It is very easy to handle and does not harm the air, soil, and groundwater. Most importantly, good quality manure can be supplied to farmers,” he says.
Nexaa Recycling Consortium intends to develop a waste management system suitable for 800-1,000 houses. The project does not expect a big investment from the government since reasonable income will be generated from the residents and through the sale of organic manure. “If we get proper attention and finance, DFC technology will become a big hit in urban areas where large amount of waste go untreated. A method to treat plastic waste is also on the cards provided we get the support from the authorities,” he says.