The Tiruchi Corporation plans to set up micro compost yards at 20 more locations in the city at a cost of Rs.14 crore.
As a pilot project, the Corporation has set up a micro compost yard at Pookkollai near Ariyamangalam a few days ago. The second and third units have been set up at Ambedkar Nagar in Srirangam and Birds Road in Cantonment.
Minister for Tourism Vellamandi N. Natarajan inaugurated the units in the presence of Minister for Backward Class and Minorities S. Valarmathi, Member of Parliament P. Kumar, Mayor A. Jaya, Commissioner N. Ravichandran and Deputy Mayor J. Srinivasan on Saturday.
Mr. Ravichandran said that since the decentralised waste management facility at Pookkollai was doing well, similar units had been set up at Ambedkar Nagar and Birds Road at a cost of Rs.63 lakh. The fourth facility was being set up at Konakarai at an estimate of Rs.30 lakh. It would be inaugurated shortly.
There was a need to further decentralise solid waste management in different parts of the city. In the next phase, 20 more micro compost yards would be set up in various wards at an estimate of Rs.14 crore. The Detailed Project Report would be sent to the government within two days.
The aim was to prevent dumping of waste, being collected in different parts of the city, in Ariyamangalam compost yard. Since it was mainly used for dumping waste for several years, it had posed many environmental issues.
The Corporation had understood the issues well. The new system of decentralised garbage management plan would prevent the garbage being dumped in Ariyamangalam compost yard.
Mr. Ravichandran said the yard at Ambedkar Nagar would cater to 5,530 houses in 71 streets of Srirangam. It was estimated that the targeted areas would generate nine tonnes. Of it, four tonnes would be of bio-degradable waste. Six auto-rickshaws would be used for collecting garbage from the houses. Each rickshaw would cover 1,100 houses. Thirty workers would be engaged for collection of garbage. Ten others would be engaged for producing organic manure from the segregated garbage.
The unit on Birds Road would cover 1,800 households. Twenty-five self-help group members would be engaged for collection, segregation and manure production.
