Machine turns horse excreta into manure in Matheran

Environment conservationists have found a way to convert horse excreta, which is high in ammonia and nitrate content and therefore destructive to bio-diversity, into manure within three days. The hill station of Matheran, an Eco-Sensitive Zone that is home to over 1,000 horses, is slated to have its own composting machines.

Conservationists claimed that the green cover of the hill station has been decaying gradually for the past one decade due to the nitrate-rich excreta of horses. While Matheran has about 436 registered horses, sources confirmed that about 1,000 horses run in the 7 sq km area of the hill station that doesn’t allow private vehicles.

“A horse produces about 9,000 kg of dung every year which comes up to about 9 tonnes of dung scattered across the hill station per year. Also, horses’ urine is highly acidic, which affects the biodiversity of the hills because of which we have come up with the idea,” said an environmentalist.

The machine has an oval barrel with a handle to roll it propped on a stand. It has a simple mechanism and can be managed with simple primary training. The capacity of the machine is 300 litres. “All one has to do is put the excreta inside the machine and add a certain yeast, which will help the composting process.

The barrel is turned once every day for the bacteria to spread across its contents evenly. In a period of 72 hours, the excreta turns into manure,” said conservationist from Mumbai Siddhesh Karangutkar, from Eco Echo, who is working on the project.

The machine, which will be presented to the civic authorities of Matheran, will soon be fixed at the hill station. Mr Karangutkar said that they were going to keep composting pits, designed by their own fellow colleague Kaustubh Yedre, on display from May 13-31 during the Matheran Festival.