Chandigarh Municipal Corporation eyes home composting, gives buckets to households

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, February 2

With an eye on home composting, the city Municipal Corporation has reposed its faith on 2,000 households in 10 selected wards by distributing them two buckets each.

An MC official said its horticulture wing was giving training and demonstration to people who had been given the composting buckets under a pilot project.

The buckets have been sponsored by a private firm.

Sponsored by firm

Under a pilot project, we have selected 10 wards where 200 households per ward will be given two composting buckets each. An amount of Rs8 lakh has been sponsored for the purpose under the CSR initiative by a company. — Anindita Mitra, MC Commissioner

Kitchen and horticulture waste can be put in the composting buckets. After a few days, it will become manure and will be one-third of the total waste. The manure can be used in plants at home.

“To promote home composting, we had a Google form contest for all residents. There were prizes upto Rs1 lakh. We did not get a good response and only 119 entries were there. Now, under a pilot project, we have selected 10 wards where 200 households per ward will be given two composting buckets each. An amount of Rs8 lakh has been sponsored for the purpose under the CSR initiative by a company,” said MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra.

“There are 2.50 lakh houses in Chandigarh. If all of these are able to compost at least the kitchen waste, it will be a revolution. In every city, garbage is an issue and there isn’t an efficient system to process mixed waste. If garbage is segregated, it can make a difference,” said the MC chief.

Councillor Harpreet Kaur Babla, who distributed a set of 200 buckets today, said, “People are showing interest in the project. I think by starting with a positive mindset and educating people, we will achieve the desired results.”

Besides, in open areas near some government houses, the MC is making brick structures for composting.

Earlier, the civic body had distributed two bins for dry and wet waste segregation for over Rs2 crore, but it remained a failure. The bins could not be used for segregation.

Composting may be must for big houses

An MC official said as part of the composting initiative, the UT Deputy Commissioner had written to the Chief Architect regarding amendments to the building bylaws to make home composting mandatory for 2 kanal houses.

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