more-in KOCHI: The existing composting methods to treat biodegradable waste at homes in grama panchayats and municipalities in Ernakulam seem to be losing its popularity among users. According to a survey of waste generated at homes conducted by Haritha Mission, only 20,920 households of 4.92 lakh homes across 75 grama panchayats use pipe composting to treat biodegradable waste. While 22,705 families use bucket compost method, a meagre 2,860 households use bio-pot composting method. The number of households treating waste at source using the vermi compost method is 9,005, while those employing the ring compost method is 14,211. As many as 34,855 households use kitchen bins to process organic waste, while 24,223 households use organic waste in bio-gas plants. In the 13 municipalities surveyed, only 361 households of the total 90,227 homes surveyed use the vermi compost method, showing a decline in demand for the method. Only 380 households use the bio-pot compost method, while the number of households using pipe compost is 5,559. As many as 2,224 families treat organic waste using the bucket compost method, while the number of households using ring compost is 1,630. The number of households that depend on kitchen bins to treat waste is 3,912. Meanwhile, Haritha Keralam officials said most households opted for composting methods considering the subsidy offered by local bodies. In municipalities, the Suchitwa Mission and the municipality provide 25% subsidy each respectively, while the beneficiaries will have to shell out the remaining 50% to set up waste management models to treat biodegradable waste at source. In most grama panchayats, people have adequate space to deposit organic waste. Many also use it as feed for animals and birds, the officials added. Attributing the poor response to waste composting systems at homes to people’s lack of knowledge about scientific processing of waste, V.N. Sivasankara Pillai, former Director of the School of Environmental Studies at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), said local bodies often recommended source treatment models without holding scientific studies on what type of system worked at a particular region. “For instance, pipe composting is not a scientific composting method. The leachate from the system can easily contaminate an open well in a house located in three cents. In a vermi compost system, care should be taken to avoid the presence of ants and rats,” he said. Dr. Pillai added that several households had ventured into marketing of existing composting models without doing adequate scientific checks or having technical know-how of effective solid waste treatment methods.

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