Mumbai firm to convert garbage into manure in Vellore

Initially, even foreign contractors were sounded out, but as the logistics were not favourable to them, they backed out, sources added.

It was then that a Mumbai-based contractor expressed his willingness to undertake the work if the corporation was willing to provide him with one acre land for the purpose and also paid either 50 paise or Re.1 for every kilo garbage collected. The contractor would then convert them to manure for local sales.

As on date, domestic garbage segregated at source is handed over to the 49 solid waste management centres which convert degradable garbage to manure which is then sold to local farmers. Non-degradable content including plastic is sold to a cement firm in Ariyalur.

However, the problem is with some 50 hotels and 20 marriage halls in town which produce large amounts of garbage. Hoteliers were annoyed that despite the corporation collecting garbage tax from them refused to pick up garbage demanding that hoteliers themselves dispose it off. As most hotels are on rented premises, they are now forced to pay upto Rs.1500 a month to piggery owners to lift the garbage and feed it to pigs.

Tamil Nadu hotels association president M Venkedasubbu told DT Next “we have informed the corporation that as they cannot directly hand over government land to private party, they could lease it to the association who would then enter into a tripartite agreement with the private party for garbage disposal.

Venkedasubbu also said that if the negotiations with the private contractor failed the local body could provide loans for raising pigs which would consume garbage. “On my own, I have loaned minor amounts to two persons to rear nearly 100 pigs forty kilometres from Vellore on the Katpadi-Gudiyattam road. If this works, the pigs fecal matter which is good manure will be purchased by farmers who are ready to pay for it.