Bengalur

SWM experts oppose automated composting units

Term them as ‘glorified incinerators’

Mayor Gautam Kumar’s recent direction to civic officials to adopt ‘automated composting unit that converts organic waste to compost in 24 hours’ in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits has not gone down well with Solid Waste Management (SWM) activists and experts.

Terming such plants as ‘glorified incinerators’, Savita Hiremath of Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) said they were an environmental hazard. “There are no studies saying that the compost is good for plants. This is an ill-informed move. All the compost will end up in landfills, as there will be no takers,” she said.

The directive comes after Mr. Gautam Kumar visited an automated composting unit in Electronics City on Tuesday.

SWM expert N.S. Ramakanth said that apartment complexes should adopt community composting instead. “Composting, in an organic way, will take about 30 days. That is the best approach. The civic body should encourage people to adopt that process,” he said.

The Mayor could not be reached for his comments.

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