Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working towards making 11 Micro Composting Centres (MCCs) functional by first week of December.
Each MCC has the processing capacity of up to five tonnes per day. These facilities convert wet or bio-degradable waste into compost and greatly help in addressing waste management issues in the capital city.
Currently, four MCCs are functional in Bhubaneswar — at Nicco Park for Ward No. 55, Laxmi Sagar (Ward 32 and 33), Unit VIII (Ward 51) and at the Temporary Transit Centre (TTS) near Sainik School (Ward 12 and 17).
While MCCs at TTS, Nicco Park, Laxmi Sagar can process waste up to 5 tonnes per day (TPD), the capacity of Unit VIII is 3 TPD.
The seven other MCCs which will be made functional by early December are – at Unit VIII (Ward 47) with a capacity of 5 TPD, Prashanti Vihar (Ward 1 and 2) having capacity of 5 TPD, Pandra (Ward 18 and 19; 5 TPD), Laxmi Sagar (Ward 31 and 42; 5 TPD), Nicco Park (Ward 36; 3TPD), Nicco Park (Ward 28 and 29; 5 TPD) and at Bargarh (Ward 45; 5 TPD).
By the end of December, the BMC is planning to make another 10 MCCs functional. “We are working relentlessly to start operation of as many as MCCs in the city soon after completion of its construction and getting necessary manpower to run these facilities. These MCCs will ensure that wet or bio-degradable waste generated from the households are processed and converted into compost,” said Deputy Commissioner (Sanitation), BMC, Suvendu Kumar Sahu.
The BMC has roped in Swaccha Sathis from various women self-help groups (SHGs), who are being imparted training on how to handle segregated bio-degradable waste, shred and process it to make compost.
Swaccha Sathis will then produce compost from the waste, to be sold in markets at nominal prices. Proceedings from the sales will be used for development of MCCs and payment of wages of Swaccha Sathis.
One SHG will be attached to each MCC, with four of its members to work as Swachh Sathis.
