The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has bagged the “HARIT”-maha city compost branding for the marketing and sale of compost produced at its sole solid waste processing unit in the Dhaavgi area of Uttan near Bhayandar.
HARIT is a ProSoil initiative launched by the government under the Swachh Maharashtra Mission (SMM) to certify and market products made from urban solid waste. To ensure garbage disposal in a scientific manner, the civic administration has hired a Gujarat-based company to process the segregated wet and dry garbage into compost and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for industrial use, based on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer model.
The compost manufacturing unit at the waste process plant. |
"Produced compost was sent to Nashik lab for testing," says MBMC municipal commissioner Dhole
“The compost produced at the plant using degradable municipal solid waste was sent to the Nashik-based laboratory for testing. After analysing the test results, the product churned from organic waste was found to be phosphate-rich organic manure (PROM) qualifying as a valuable fertilizer that could be used in the soil, in compliance with the standards of the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), following which the state-level authorities have allowed us to use the brand name ‘Harit maha city compost". said municipal commissioner Dhole.
Sanitation department to dispose more than 450 metric tonnes of garbage daily
“Presently, around 250 tonnes of compost is being produced at the plant per day. Apart from free use of the compost at our gardens, the MBMC gets 10 percent of the proceeds garnered through sales by the plant operator which works out to around ₹2 crore every year.
The branding will not only help in establishing the authenticity of the product but will also instill confidence amongst agriculturists.” said deputy municipal commissioner Ravi Pawar. The sanitation department of the civic body is tasked with scientifically disposing of more than 450 metric tonnes of garbage generated in the twin-cities on a daily basis.
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