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With the implementation of a series of projects and deployment of different strategies, the Tirumangalam and Usilampatti town panchayats are inching towards effective handling of solid wastes, Madurai Collector S. Natarajan said here on Thursday.

The projects involve construction of micro compost yards (MCC) and projects to remove the existing unsegregated waste through in a bid to reclaim the dump yards presently being used by the two municipalities.

"Once these projects are implemented, all the biodegradable waste will be converted to manure while the non-biodegradable waste will be given to industries or for recycling wherever possible," he said.

K. Subbiah, Municipal Commissione4 Usilampatti, said that the municipality has achieved 100 per cent door-to-door waste collection and segregation at the source. "Biodegradable waste constitutes two-third of the 12 tonnes of waste generated daily. Of this, we are planning to bring five tonnes to the MCC for converting them into manure," he said.

The arrangement at MCC consists of 14 pits, each having a capacity of four tonnes and representing different stages of the manure generation process. The waste dumped in the first pit will be shifted from one pit to the other for different processes through a 15 day cycle, by when the manure will be ready.

While Usilampatti is planning one MCC, the Tirumangalam municipality, which generates 24 tonnes of waste a day, is planning MCC in three places. "One is almost ready. The other two will come up shortly," K. Jeyarama Raja, Municipal Commissioner, said.

However, he acknowledged that waste segregation at source is still not fully successful in Tirumangalam. "We are aiming to achieve 100 per cent soon," he said.

As one of the measures to achieve segregation at the source, the municipality has bought 12 battery operated vehicles for door-to-door garbage collection in all the 27 wards. "This will save time and improve efficiency since the workers presently use push carts and tricycles," he added.

Collector Natarajan stressed on the need for people also to understand the importance of segregating waste at source.

Effective disposal of non-biodegradable waste, however, remains a challenge for the two municipalities. Though officials claim that segregation is being done with greater efficiency, there seems to be not many takers for the segregated non-biodegradable waste.

"Some cement companies are ready to take the plastic waste. However, they demand us to deliver it to them free of cost. We are doing it since it is important to dispose this waste," Mr. Subbiah said.

ENDS