Residents in apartment complexes in the capital may soon be equipped to operate their own garbage treatment units. The Thiruvananthapuram chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) is launching a decentralised mass solid waste management project targeting apartment buildings. The project will replicate the model launched by CREDAI in Kochi two years back. By minimising the quantum of garbage transported from the city, it is expected to help streamline the operation of the treatment plant at Vilappilsala. A team from CREDAI met Mayor C. Jayan Babu here on Thursday to discuss the implementation of the project, named Clean Trivandrum, which is to be launched in the city early next month with the support of the City Corporation.
The project focuses on source-level segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and treatment of biodegradable waste using aerobic microbial composting bio bin system. The system is based on bio-trigger mechanism of scientifically combining naturally occurring microbes with the biodegradable waste to trigger the process of decomposition. Under the project, families residing in apartments will be provided with two buckets, green and yellow, to segregate organic and plastic waste. Two lightweight fibre bio bins measuring 6 ft long, 3 feet wide and 2.5 ft height will be installed in each apartment complex. The bins will be used for mixing and decomposing the biodegradable waste.The two bio bins, which can be placed in common areas like the terrace, car porch or garden of the building complex, will be used alternatively for filling up and decomposing the waste. It will take from 15 to 20 days for the waste to decompose in this process. The manure thus processed will be sieved periodically after 15 days and the residents can either sell it or use it for their gardens or farms.
“The best thing about this system is that it processes biodegradable solid waste in minimum time without any mechanisation, transportation or energy consumption. So it is a very eco-friendly system of waste management. It is also one of the easiest and neatest waste management systems and reduces the waste to 15 per cent,” said Jose Joseph, technical director of CREDAI Clean City Movement. Meanwhile, the plastic waste collected in the yellow bucket will be handed over to the plastic shredding units of the Corporation. “The shredded plastic may be used for polymerised road tarring or tile casting,” Mr. Joseph said. He said that as many as 190 building complexes process 25 tonnes of solid waste daily by participating in the project in Kochi.
“One unit of bio bin system can process 50-55 kg waste per day and produce 8 kg of compost per day. The maintenance of the unit, including the fee for the staff and their cleaning equipment, will only cost around Rs.640 per month for a unit of 40 apartments. We will also be providing the bio culture to be used in the bio bin,” Mr. Joseph said.Corporation health standing committee chairman G.R. Anil said that the civic body envisages a five per cent reduction in waste transported to Vilappilsala through the project. “The Corporation has made it mandatory for buildings having more than five apartments to have self-contained solid waste management units. We will also be extending our support to the initiative of CREDAI in setting up such units in existing apartment complexes,” Mr. Anil said.
The Corporation would provide the service of Kudumbasree Clean Well workers for maintaining the bio bin units in apartment complexes, he added.CREDAI is planning to launch the project in seven apartment complexes in the city initially.“The project will be extended to all existing apartment complexes, around 150 of them, in a phased manner. We will be giving training to the workers for collection and management of waste under the system. We will also have supervisors to oversee the project in every apartment complex,” said CREDAI executive officer S. Haridas.
The Hindu, 26th October 2009
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