As a first step towards decentralisation of solid waste management, the Tiruchi City Corporation on Saturday inaugurated a micro compost yard at Pookollai near Ariyamangalam.
Tourism Minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan launched the facility at a function here. Mayor A. Jaya, Commissioner N.S. Prema, City Engineer Nagesh and others attended it.
Mr. Natarajan said it would enable the civic body to dispose of the garbage by segregating it into perishable and non-perishable items. It could be used for generating revenue to the Corporation.
As per the existing system, Ms. Prema said, garbage collected from different parts of the city, fish markets, regional vegetable markets, Gandhi Market, Central Bus Stand and Chathiram Bus Stand is being dumped in the Ariyamangalam dump yard.
The city generated 430 tonnes of garbage daily. The Ariyamangalam yard, spread over 40 acres of land, had 12 lakh tonnes of garbage. It had not been segregated so far. It was mounting day by day.
She said since the garbage had been stored for years together, there was a report that methane gas was getting generated on its own. It was the main reason for the garbage dump being gutted during summer. The Corporation had understood the need for finding alternatives to the issue. The decentralisation of solid waste management would be one among the solutions.
Ms. Prema said besides the micro compost yard at Pookkollai, similar yards would be set up in the remaining three zones also. A sum of Rs.78 lakh had been earmarked for the project.
SHG members would be roped in for managing the solid waste being generated in different wards. The micro compost yard would be used to segregate domestic waste. While biodegradable waste could be dumped for producing organic manure, non-degradable plastics could be shredded into small pieces for laying roads.
