Kakinada corp. struggling to market its made-from-waste manure

Kakinada: Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) is finding it difficult to market the manure it is producing after disposing off the garbage it collects from the city in the form of wet and dry waste.

KMC supplies 10 tonnes of the dry waste it collects to Eco-Environ, a private company, which recycles and sends it to companies located in Hyderabad, New Delhi and other cities.

The corporation transports five tonnes of dry garbage to an energy from waste plant in Visakhapatnam. 40 tonnes of waste is dumped at Sanjay Nagar from where those dealing in scrap pick up plastic bottles, wires and other material and supply them to New Delhi and Gujarat.

KMC has two composting plants at Sanjay Nagar and Revenue Colony, which use 36 tonnes of waste to produce manure. The manure thus produced is being sold for ₹20 per kg to people, who buy it as fertiliser for their plants at home. The corporation also uses this manure to maintain its various plants, trees, gardens and nurseries.

However, as there is no proper marketing plan, KMC has accumulated nearly 40 tonnes of manure.

Sources within KMC say if there is a proper advertising campaign, many farmers near Kakinada city will be willing to buy this manure at reasonable prices. It can be used by those dealing in horticulture, floriculture, agriculture and even aqua culture.

Corporation officials have brought this aspect to the notice of district collector Kritika Shukla.

KMC officials have also intensified their efforts to sell the manure. Corporation deputy engineer Madhavi said they have plans to sell the manure in packets through ward secretariats. As the manure is of high quality, householders can use it for their plants. She said 8–10 tonnes of manure could be given to self-help groups at a cost of ₹1.50 a kg. It could also be sold in bulk to private parties

Madhavi said with such marketing strategies, Kakinada Municipal Corporation will be able to successfully monetise the waste that the city generates.

She further disclosed that out that nearly 106 tonnes of both dry and wet waste will be supplied to a private party for bio-mechanisation under the Integrated Solid Waste Management project of Swachh Bharat Mission. The bio-mechanisation plant is expected to commence operations within six or eight months.