This is something worth taking note of! Goodwill Society on the ITI Road in Aundh has set an example before others by segregating garbage and converting it into manure for gardening. 50 families of the society generate around 50kg of garbage every day. Setting apart the dry and the wet garbage, around 250 kg of compost manure is formed for the regular use in the society garden which occupies the area of 20,000 sq. ft.

Mr. Laxman Gujrathi, one of the managing committee members was talking to the correspondents on Thursday. He said that the residents of the society were quite happy with the idea when it struck them three years ago. Since then it has been an admirable endeavor, he accented. He also talked about the entire procedure of composting.

As he said, the wet and the dry waste generated in the kitchen are segregated and the wet garbage is sent to the vermicomposting pit. They are also seeking help from the experts in this field and the local corporator too has offered the necessary help.

Mr. Gujrathi also told that they would also set up a biogas plant in the near future. They have consulted the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in this regard. Whatever expenses required for setting up the plant will be shared by all the residents of the society.

One more instance worth mentioning here regarding garbage management is of course of the Dhavalgiri Society near the MIT College in Kothrud. The residents here, too, have managed to separate the wet and the dry garbage every day and thereby composting it.

When approached by the correspondents, the committee member Mr. Vinit Pathak told that they had written to PMC requesting to take away the wet garbage generated in the society; but the concerned authorities paid little heed. The residents felt helpless at that moment; but later decided to reap the benefits and started segregating wet and dry waste collected from the 28 apartments in the housing society and composting the wet one.

Mr. Pathak told that the house working staff has been told to collect the waste kept in two separate dustbins in the kitchens. Plastic stuff, waste bottles and papers are sold to junk pickers.

The managing committee approached the Institute of Natural Organic Agriculture and sought their help and guidance for composting.

Mr. Pathak also said that around 15 kg of waste is collected every day in the vermicomposting pit. This includes cowdung, coconut coir and bricks as well. Gunny bags are used to cover the tank and it is watered regularly.

All in all both the instances speak for themselves. Instead of depending on the civic body both the societies handled the garbage management on their own and took a strong initiative in environmental conservation.

- Yogesh Sapre