Tiruchi corporation, which is pushing for home composting of domestic wet waste, has fixed a target to cover at least 50,000 houses within six months.
To promote the concept, it has conducted two exhibitions by bringing companies which have developed home composting designs and models. The civic body also distributed earthen pots to residents, who came forward to set up home composting on their backyard a few months ago. As part of promotional measures, the Corporation has announced prizes worth ₹50 lakh to school students. It offers attractive prizes for students who successfully convince their parents to go in for home composting.
Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran told The Hindu that Tiruchi had taken a lead in promoting home compost in a big way. More than 90% of wet waste generated in houses could be disposed at source through home composting. As many as 500 houses had already set up home composting units. Several of them were successful in producing organic manure, which was in turn used for raising vegetables and flowers in home gardens.
Under Solid Waste Management Rules, all bulk producers of solid waste such as hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, hostels and educational institutions had to process and dispose their waste. The Corporation would not encourage them to hand down wet waste to the sanitary workers. Similarly, apartment dwellers had also been urged to cooperate with the civic body by setting up home composting.
Mr. Ravichandran said bulk producers of solid waste should comply with the new rules on solid waste management. Otherwise, severe action would be taken against them. It would be applicable to hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, hostels and hotels.
