Flower pot is all it takes to manage waste

Kollam: The Kerala Agriculture University’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra has developed a novel technique for solid bio-waste management which suits urban settlements as it requires less space.

“The method is to make composts at the source of bio-waste itself, rather than finding a dedicated space for it, including dumpyards. Space constraints force the people living in clustered areas to deposit their waste along roadsides and public places. The place  also  turns a breeding ground for disease-carrying vectors,” said Dr. Noble Abraham, scientist, KVK.

The technique requires just a medium-sized mud flower pot in which the solid bio-wastes are disposed. The holes of the pot are plastered using cement. Composting inoculum is sprinkled on top of the waste at five  gm to 10 gm per kg of waste.

It is mixed  and the moisture-controlling powder supplied along with inoculum is added. This is kept closed.

The process continues until the pot fills and will turn into compost after 40-45 days. This mixture can also be used as inoculum for the next set of compost. This can be mixed with NPK supplements to make it value-added.

The biotechnology department at the Vellayani Agriculture College had developed an eco-friendly technology for waste decomposition using a consortium of micro-organisms.

This consortium helps bio- degradable materials convert into compost. The KVK in Kollam during  2014-15, with the aid of national agriculture research council, had implemented this technology in households of Kollam city and its outskirts.

It has been found that a four-member family requires only two such flower pots for a year. The team of scientists from KVK  hopes to make the state  waste-free using the technique.