Avadi is inching closer towards its goal of becoming a zero-waste locality.
The Corporation has processed nearly 70% of the garbage heaped in the Sekkadu dump yard through bio-mining and expects to reclaim the landfill by the year-end.
The Corporation has also introduced concepts such as raising poultry in its micro composting centres as part of the process of composting wet waste.
The civic body is implementing a bio-mining process, wherein garbage is segregated and dry waste is separated for recycling, at its 7.7 acre site, located 10 km from Avadi. About 70% of the 64,000 cubic metres of garbage accumulated over the past two decades had been processed so far using machinery, officials said.
The reclaimed landfill may be used as a resource recovery centre for segregation and disposal of e-waste or for developing a Miyawaki forest, officials noted.
On average, Avadi generates 90.7 tonnes of garbage daily and the Corporation managed to collect nearly 90% of the waste from the doorsteps of residents. Of the nearly 45 tonnes of biodegradable waste generated daily, about 35 tonnes is processed at the 16 micro composting centres being operated across the Corporation and converted to 4 tonnes of manure daily. Officials said while this was mostly being distributed free of cost to farmers, it was also being sold at ₹3 per kg to residents and distributed to sanitation workers as well. Similarly, sanitation workers were allowed to segregate dry waste and sell recyclable materials, and non-saleable materials were sent to various places like cement factories in Ariyalur and Ambattur.
Chicken being raised
In a micro composting centre at Arundathipuram, officials adopted a novel concept wherein country chicken are being raised for the past few months. “We now have about 70 country chicken that are used in the composting process of wet waste. They help reduce wet waste and also clean up worms that may infest the compost,” said M. Abdul Jaffer, a sanitary inspector.
There were plans to divert them to other centres and initiate sale of eggs once it developed into a poultry farm in six months, he added.
To create awareness about the quality of the manure produced and to encourage roof gardens, the Corporation has set up terrace gardens at its office buildings and provides about 50 kg vegetables, including brinjal and tomato, every week, officials added.
