Dhanbad: Chas Municipal Corporation has set up a 10-ton capacity composter on a 1,000 square-metre plot near Jodhadih More in Chas to manage large volumes of wet waste generated from households spread across 35 wards. According to officials, the composter will produce around 4 tons of manure every month.
Besides wet waste generated from the households, cow dung and organic trash will be used for the purpose. The process to produce manure using the windrows method takes around a month. The corporation has already installed nine household composters in housing apartments owned by different welfare associations.
Chas deputy mayor Avinash Kumar said, "the composter has already started functioning. It will also help us to score points when the swachh survey begins on February 21".
Saurabh Suman, the founder of IIT(ISM)-based start-up Total Waste Solutions who is working as a consultant for the civic body said, "We have built four concrete platforms for the purpose. While the largest measures 400 square-metres, there are two of 200 square-metres each and another one which has a size of 100 square-metres. Compost is produced by piling organic matter or biodegradable waste, such as cow dung, wet wastes and crop residues, in long rows (windrows). This method helps to produce large volumes of compost."
"Windrows composting consists of placing the mixture in long narrow piles that are turned on a regular basis. The turning operation mixes the composting materials and enhances passive aeration," Suman said and added that though the composter has a capacity of 10 tons, it's full utilisation was yet to begin.
"We developed the composter at a cost of around Rs 5 lakh. The civic body has also set up a biogas plant in the community toilet of Bauri Tola locality to generate power," said Suman.
The civic body has already started door-to-door garbage collection in all the 35 wards besides introducing separate bins for wet and dry wastes in commercial areas.