Saddled with a daunting task of disposing around 550 metric tonnes of waste generated by the twin-city on a daily basis, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has decided to roll out a magic basket as a part of their endeavor to decentralize its waste management mechanism. As of now the civic administration is dependent on a single and unified process plant in the Dhaavgi village area of Uttan near Bhayandar, for the past more than a decade, amidst stiff opposition from local villagers.
Magic Basket is a complete indoor composter which helps in converting daily kitchen waste into nutrient-rich compost.
According to officials attached to the sanitation department, the process is eco-friendly, odorless, portable and takes very little place. Presently the civic administration is on a mission mode to spread awareness about the magic basket mechanism of recycling kitchen waste by conducting workshops in housing societies. The process involves adding cut-food waste including wasted cooked food, vegetable and fruit peels in the basket, followed by sprinkling compost-maker powder which will be provided by the MBMC.
It takes around three months to turn the waste into rich manure which can be used for gardening purposes. The liquid fertilizer from the tap of the magic basket can be harvested and used to nurture plants. "We are getting an encouraging response from citizens as this initiative will not only bring down the quantity of waste generated in the twin-city but will also reduce the resources spent by the civic body in processing waste in bulk quantity." said municipal commissioner- Dilip Dhole. The MBMC plans to charge a nominal price for the magic basket. Solid Waste Management Rules- 2016 makes it binding upon individuals, housing societies and commercial establishments to segregate waste at source.
