After successfully implementing its zero-budget waste-management system at different places including hospitals, educational institutions and airports, the waste-management unit of Niravu Vengeri, a residential forum here, has entered a consultancy contract with the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway to help the railways deal with the solid waste including leftover food and non-degradable plastics.
Contract
As per the contract signed on June 1, Niravu has selected Shoranur railway station, which on an average handles around 80 trains a day, to introduce the method developed by the forum, said Babu Parambath, waste management expert and project coordinator of Niravu.
“This will be a pilot project in the railways and will be expanded to other stations once implemented successfully,” said Mr. Prambath.
The forum has developed an improvised aerobic compost bin, which is a smarter version of ring compost, to be set up at the Shoranur station as part of the project.
With over 80 trains to handle on a day, Shoranur, according to the railway authorities is the largest waste producing station in the State.
“That is why we selected the station for the pilot project,” said Mr. Parambath.
The waste from the trains, canteens and hotels at the station will be first taken to the yard for segregation. As many as five compost bins will be set up close to the segregation yard in the station premises.
All the degradable wastes will be taken to the compost bin while rest of the solid waste comprising plastic carry bags/bottles, and aluminium foils will be segregated and be periodically sent to recycling units.
The manure from the unit will be used for cultivation purposes, which also is part of the project.
“We have already identified around 25 cents of land in the station premises to cultivate plantains using the manure,” said Mr. Parambath.
The new method would require only four manual labourers to run the entire unit, which comprises five compost bins and a segregation yard.
The method has been effectively implemented at the Calicut International Airport, the Government Mental health Hospital, Kozhikode and the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, among other places.
According to Mr. Parambath, different agencies including the Kerala Suchithwa Mission have certified the effectiveness of the method, which can be useful for hotels and auditoriums as well.
