Case Study
Kunnamkulam Municipal Corporation
Wet Waste Management
BACKGROUND
Kunnamkulam is a municipal town situated in Thrissur District of Kerala in India, spread across an area of 34.18 sq.km. The Municipality had an area of 34.18 sq.km. The municipality has 37 wards. The total population as per 2011 census is 54,071.
CHALLENGE
The Kerala state decided to ban all landfill because of the frequent protests by the people living near the landfills. Based on State Government policy, the Kunnamkulam Municipality decided to compost the wet waste generated in the commercial space in the municipal area. The municipality strictly enforced segregation of waste and they constructed a building of 5000 sq.ft and installed a shredding machine. A ladies self help group was formed to compost the waste procured and delivered by the municipality.
The ladies self-help group composted the wet waste by mixing and shredding it with aerobic composting medium, a coco peat based specially formulated product developed and supplied by Omega EcoTech Products India Pvt Ltd through IRTC(Integrated Rural Technology Centre).
The shredded mixed waste is formed into windrow piles. The piles are periodically turned, mixed and bulked after two weeks. A month old compost is mixed with fresh waste and recycled. After the compost is fully mature it is sieved packed and sold as compost to nearby farmers.
RESULT
There is no landfill in Kunnamkulam municipality. All the wet waste generated in the commercial space is fully composted into good quality compost. The local farming community is using the compost for more sustainable farming. This has become a show case model for various municipalities and private entrepreneurships and many such initiatives are on the way. The municipality has also taken steps to compost the domestic waste in individual houses.