Veerapandi town panchayat has set a role model in disposing of waste. With safe disposal of waste and recycling of bio-nondegradable waste, the panchayat has kept the surroundings clean and ensured regular supply of organic manure and vermicompost to farmers at cheaper rate, helping them reduce use of chemical fertilizers.
Initiatives taken by former Executive Officer of Veerapandi town panchayat M. Senthil Kumar have started yielding result now.
The panchayat has achieved cent per cent door-to-door collection of waste. Proper conversion or recycling of entire waste has eliminated dumping of waste in expanding yards. It collects three tonnes of waste, including 1.5 tonnes of biodegradable waste, per day. A garbage processing yard produces around 500 to 600 kg of organic manure and vermicompost a day. It takes a minimum of 40 days to convert organic waste into manure or vermicompost.
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Plastic waste is being shredded into pieces and sold to contractors for Rs. 20 a kg to lay roads. Vermicompost is being sold for Rs. 3 a kg and organic manure for Rs.1 a kg.
Thus the town panchayat earned Rs. 1 lakh from waste last year, said panchayat officials. No stench emanates from the compost yard, which is surrounded by 200 bamboo trees.
Thenkarai town panchayat too has started emulating this model, processing two tonnes of waste a day.
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Talking to reporters after inspecting the compost yard and other town panchayats on Wednesday, Collector N. Venkatachalam said massive efforts were on to make town panchayats litter-free.
A bridge was constructed across Vazhaiyaru river at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh, fulfilling decades-old dream of Boothipuram farmers.
Work on underground drainage project, taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 30.54 crore, at Palanichettipanchayat was in full swing, , he added.