Last month, two giant composting bins at the Anantha Padmanabhaswami temple on Second Main Road, shook off an almost two-year-long inertia, and excitedly hunkered down to work. The other two, just as hulking, look on dolefully, like an IT employee persistently benched for want of additional projects.
The pandemic has slowed down many stellar initiatives, and it brought this much-acclaimed composting exercise to a standstill. As the initiative restarts, there is much rustiness to deal with.
“From our side, we have assigned a staff member to just feed these two bins with flowers and tulsi leaves that had been used in worship, but are yet to kickstart the process to receive the output,” remarks a temple authority. “The compost has to be taken out, dried and packed. We are seeking help in restarting this essential process. Earlier, before the pandemic, Exnora Green Pammal was doing it for us. They would take the compost, dry it and turn into packets for us to sell at ₹60 each.”
After all, the two working bins do not have the safisfaction of their work crowned with results and positively apprised.
“We are in talks with ITC to get the initiative restarted in its totality.” The composting initiative had been birthed by ITC’s corporate social responsibility outreach.
The temple authority notes that Exnora Green Pammal is strapped for human resources and is unable to take up this exercise again.
“We are on a hunt for people who can run this exercise in its totality,” the source reveals. “If youngsters volunteer to do this work, it would be commendable. Sometime ago, two persons approached us and expressed a willingness to take up this work as volunteers. We agreed, but insisted that they give a letter of request seeking permission volunteer for the cause. We are yet to hear from them.”
