Management of municipal organic waste through composting in Thiruvananthapuram

Abstract

Solid waste management is an issue that most Indian cities struggle with. The capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala has been experimenting with various methods to manage its organic solid waste ever since the centralized composting plant at Vilappilsala, a village located about 14 km from the city was forced to shut down due to protests by villagers in the area. In the absence of a proper waste management system, city residents are forced to openly burn their waste or sneak out at night to dump it in public places or discard it in water bodies. Organic waste is best managed at the source and though the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation has been trying to implement composting at the source, it has not been entirely successful. The next best option for those who are unable to compost their waste at their household is to go for a community level composting. From the administrative point of view, ward level composting is a system that can be managed conveniently by the urban local bodies. At the same time, there is a need for organic manure in agriculture, both as a supplement to fertilizers as well as to reduce the use of fertilizers in crops. The Kerala state organic farming policy envisions to convert Kerala into a completely organic state in the coming years. Among the many strategies proposed to bring about this transformation is the establishment of a system to link organic municipal waste segregated at the source from urban areas to farms through means such as decentralized composting and thus ensure organic matter recycling. It is clear that composting of organic waste can help enhance organic farming if carried out properly. This thesis aims to bridge the gap between organic waste management and organic farming by proposing a strategy of appropriate systems and infrastructure for decentralised composting within the city and providing the compost for organic farming. This has been done by studying various types of literature on types of composting processes and case studies where similar action has been taken. The study also looks into the demand for organic manure in the surrounding villages by taking up three selected villages for detailed study of crops cultivated, fertilizers used and willingness of farmers to use urban compost. Further, the study analyses the best possible options of decentralized composting for the city of Thiruvananthapuram along with the estimation of land area and cost required for its implementation. This study creates a base for the planning and implementation of a composting system in Thiruvananthapuram and other cities which may be eager to apply a similar concept.