Municipal Corporation of Tirupati on zero-garbage drive

Tirupati: Ch Hari Kiran, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT), inspected the working of on-site compost machines set up at Rythu Bazaar and Indira Priyadarsini Vegetable market here on Friday. These bio-chest machines were installed 20 days ago with each one having the capacity of 0.5 tonne per day.

Highlights:

• Organic compost generated can be sold in the market for Rs 20 a kg, says Commissioner
• Will ask hotels and industries to establish bio-chest units: Hari Kiran

The vegetable waste dumped in the machines in the last 20 days has become compost on 21st day. The Commissioner inspected the compost making process along with the technical team. Each bio-chest machine generates three tonnes of compost with the 10 tonnes of waste dumped in the last 20 days. This is most qualitative organic compost which can be sold in the market for Rs 20 a kg, said the Commissioner.

The compost has to be dried up for four days before selling it to the nurseries or farmers. Making of organic compost through vegetable waste under “zero garbage concept” was introduced for the first time in the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT). In the coming days, the MCT will take steps to make the hotels and industries which are producing bulk waste to establish bio-chest units on their premises.

This will make the pilgrim city a clean city, Hari Kiran said. The door-to-door garbage collection will also be strengthened further and on-site compost making system will be introduced in parks and gated communities. An awareness meeting will be held soon on the “zero garbage concept” to all the resident welfare associations, he maintained. Corporation secretary Balaswamy and ME-2 Mohammed Johny have accompanied the Commissioner.