Nitte (Deemed to be University) commissions Solid Waste Management plant in Deralakatte campus near Mangaluru

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra says the facility is a model that Mangaluru City Corporation could adopt for waste segregation

Swami `1Ekagamyananda of Ramakrishna Mission explains the working of the new solid waste management plant to (from right) former MLC K. Ganesh Karnik, Nitte (Deemed to be University) Chancellor N. Vinay Hegde, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra, and others, at the Nitte campus in Deralakatte near Mangaluru on Sunday October 23, 2022.

Nitte Solid Waste Management Plant (Resource Recovery Point and Hermi Compost Unit), an initiative of Nitte (Deemed to be University) aimed at making its Deralakatte campus a zero waste campus near Mangaluru, was commissioned on Sunday October 23.

Mangala Resource Management Pvt. Ltd., a start-up promoted by Mangaluru Ramakrishna Mission, handles the waste management facility. Inaugurating the plant spread over around 4,000 sqft, Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra said though waste segregation appears lucrative, it was not an easy task.

The facility created at Deralakatte therefore could serve as a model to others, including Mangaluru City Corporation, which could adopt the model for waste segregation. The Ramakrishna Mission, Dr. Rajendra said, has done a commendable job in creating awareness about cleanliness in Mangaluru and surrounding areas through the Swachh Mangaluru campaign.

Nitte Chancellor N. Vinay Hegde said the waste management plant would serve as a model even for students of the university. Waste segregation at source would ensure scientific management, he said adding Nitte’s initiative is bound to get recognised at the national level. He urged the Ramakrishna Mission to continue the Swachh Mangaluru Campaign, promising necessary assistance.

Sri Ekagamyananda thanked Nitte for its unstinted support to the Swachh Mangaluru campaign and congratulated Mr. Hegde for his initiative to create a zero waste campus at Nitte. The initiative reflects Mr. Hegde’s desire for a clean and green environment. He gave a brief of the functioning of Mangala Resources in managing waste at Uppinangady gram panchayat and the Material Recovery Facility at Nitte village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district.

Former MLC K. Ganesh Karnik, Nitte Vice-Chancellor Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, Mangala Resources Managing Director Dilraj Alva, Executive Director Ranjan Bellarpady, Director Sachin Shetty and others were present.

How the new facility at Nitte handles waste

Nitte used to hand over one tonne each of dry and wet waste generated every day in the campus to an external agency employing four persons.

The new facility employs 12 persons and operates at a lesser cost as compared to the earlier arrangement, Sri Ekagamyananda said. During its trial run over the last three months, the plant had handled 90 tonnes each of wet and dry waste.

Wet waste is converted into manure through hermi-compost method through black soldier flies. The dry waste was segregated, bailed and handed over to end-users for recycling.