New micro compost yards coming up in the city will be inaugurated before March, according to Tiruchi Corporation Commissioner S. Sivasubramanian.
He told The Hindu here on Thursday, that the city had 33 micro compost yards (MCC) for collecting, segregating, processing and recycling the waste. The concept, which was introduced in 2017, had become a successful model in solid waste management. The MCC, first started in Ariyamangalam, was extended to other wards in the city. They have helped bring down the quantum of waste being transported to Ariyamangalam dump yard by about 50%.
Mr. Sivasubramanian said that to bring more areas under the MCC coverage, the State government approved the setting up of 10 more MCCs at various locations in the city. They were being set up at Kuzhumikarai, Selva Nagar, East Boulevard Road, Anna Nagar and Srirangam. This apart, two MCCs were being set up at Central Bus Stand and another at the backyard of the main office of the Tiruchi Corporation.
Depending upon the size of MCC, each would cost between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh. Each would have a capacity to handle 6 to 7 metric tonnes of garbage. Construction of new MCCs had reached an advanced stage. They would be brought to use one after another before March.
The Commissioner said that the city generated about 450 metric tonne of solid waste a day. Until the introduction of MCC, the entire garbage without segregating degradable and non-degradable was transported and dumped at the Ariyamangalam dump yard. The quantum of solid waste being transported to Ariyamangalam had come down to around 250 metric tonne. It has been decided to segregate, process and dispose of the entire solid waste in the micro compost yards itself.
He said that no new workers would be recruited for the new micro compost centres as the State government had not given permission to increase the number of sanitary workers. The new MCCs would be managed with the available work force and the self help group members.