Kozhikode Corporation to launch waste treatment from April

KOZHIKODE: Kozhikode Municipal Corporation will implement decentralised waste management at source using aerobic bins by the end of next month.
A survey on the project will start next week with the cooperation of residents' associations in six select divisions on a pilot basis.

Ahead of the survey, Centre for Research and Development in Health, Hygiene and Environment (CRDHHE), the implementing agency, is conducting an awareness campaign for the associations. CRDHHE executive director Dr Reena Anilkumar said the response was positive.

“Its format is ready and has gone to press. We will conduct the survey using volunteers of residents' associations who had undergone training for it,” she told DC. The corporation and the CRDHHE want a full-fledged waste management system before the rains.

“At the moment, we have only a vague idea of the volume of waste generated in the city. The survey will help us get a clear picture and the number of residents in each ward. Once we get an exact figure, we can accordingly prepare a master plan for each division,” she said.

An aerobic bin allows faster decomposition of waste into organic waste compared to conventional biogas plant or pipe compost. It avoids the mess and smell associated with the collection process.

The statistics will also help better implementation in the second phase. The implementing agency is planning to finish the survey within two weeks. “In the six wards we selected, there are approximately 8,000 residents. When it reaches 5,000 households, we will start fixing the aerobic bins in houses,” she said. A separate survey will take place for the implementation of the project in public and commercial areas.