Angul: Once a headache for Angul municipality, the garbage generated in the town has now become a source of earning for the civic body.
This is how the municipality is earning from the waste.
In Angul town, the municipality has set up a micro composting centre (MCC) each at Hemasurapada, Mishrapada and Hulurisingha. These centres are being managed by self-help groups. While Maa Ambika self-help group is in charge of Hemasurapada MCC, Mishrapada and Hulurisingha MCCs are being taken care of by Chandrasekhar self-help group and Dharitri self-help group respectively. Every month, the civic body is providing a sum of Rs 35,000 each to the three MCCs.
After receiving the garbage at the MCC, the first step is to separate wet garbage from dry ones. Then the processing of this garbage is started.
In the next step, the garbage is laid out in sun to dry after mixing them with a certain type of organic chemical. Then, it is mixed with cow dung. Now, the organic manure is ready for sale.
The SHG members are doing this entire process very carefully. The finished product, i.e. the organic manure is being sold for Rs 20 per kilogram.
While a lion share of this manure is going to a bio-organic firm, some farmers are also buying this manure regularly. Besides, local residents have also become loyal customers of this manure. They buy it to apply in their gardens and roof-top gardens.
“All of us are well aware of harmful impact of chemical fertilizers. This is the reason why we have a liking for organic manure. We are using the manure sold by the municipality for our gardens and kitchen gardens. The municipality will get more customers in coming days but its advertisement is required,” said Kanchan Singh, a town resident.
According to Chandrasekhar SHG president Dhulana Dehury, they have so far sold 50 kilograms of manure. “We are getting customers on a daily basis. In future, the number of customers will definitely increase,” said Dehury.
When contacted, Angul municipality executive officer Binod Chandra Panda said, “Organic manure is being produced at three MCCs in Angul town. As of now, the manure is being produced manually. To increase production, machines have already been installed at these MCCs but not connected to power sources. Once these machines are made functional, the volume of production will go up. This means we will be converting more waste into money.”
PNN