Kulithalai model a head turner nationwide

Profitable conversion of civic waste into eco friendly vermi compost has made the “Kulithalai Model” in solid waste management a head turner in civic body circles nationwide. With its synergy approach to profitable disposal of solid waste, the Kulithalai Municipality in Karur district has secured a grant of Rs. 40 lakh for improving its facilities and furthering its agenda.

Kulithalai municipality’s effective schedule of segregation of bio degradable waste and others at source, door-to-door collection of garbage in 19 of the 24 wards covering 5,245 households in the civic area and the profitable disposal of the 3.5 to four tonne of garbage gleaned every day has come in for wholesome praise in municipal circles.

Pioneering work in converting the civic waste into vermin compost is being undertaken zealously at the Sathyamangalam compost yard spread over 9.2 acres. The bio degradable waste is processed through the wind row pile method and circular heap method for pre-digestion involving either cow dung slurry, press mud and effective micro organism solution, according to the youthful and energetic Kulithalai Municipality Chairman A. Amuthavel.

The pre-digested waste gets value addition through either the tank method or heap method or brick method for harvesting vermi compost suitable for all crops. Demand for the civic body’s vermi compost is high, claims Mr. Amuthavel and already more than 4.5 tonne has been sold in the past few months. Another six tonne is ready for sale and for own consumption. The aim is to generate revenue to the tune of Rs. One lakh per month through vermi compost sales to make the venture self-sustainable, he adds.

Plans are under way to have a green cover spread over five acres at the yard for which the Forest Department has given 500 “Pungan” saplings and another 1,250 “Kumizh” saplings have been procured for the afforestation purposes. Along the perimeter of the yard, over 1,000 casurina saplings would be planted to act as wind barriers. Drip irrigation is to be installed for micro irrigation management, Mr. Amuthavel observes.

Mr. Amuthavel acknowledges the technical support Exnora International has been providing for the project. Stating that the stakeholders’ involvement was the key to the success of the Kulithalai Method, Coordinator Vijay Anand of Exnora says that they were just facilitators and provided capacity building to the civic body and the synergy approach has brought laurels.