Tiruchi Corporation to streamline micro compost centres with technology upgrade

There are 39 micro compost centres in five zones of Tiruchi Corporation that collect, process, and recycle solid waste daily.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

As part of its efforts to improve the overall waste management system in the city, Tiruchi Corporation has taken steps to strengthen and upgrade the city’s micro compost centres (MCC).

On an average, the city generates about 470 tonnes of waste daily and around 75% of it was claimed to be segregated at source, which consists of wet waste, dry waste, and domestic hazardous waste. At present, there are 39 micro compost centres in five zones that collect, process, and recycle solid waste daily. Three to five trained workers are engaged in the process.

The micro compost centres segregate and dispose of municipal waste daily to prevent accumulation. While biodegradable waste is converted into manure in about 21 days, plastic and other recyclable material are sent to cement factories. At present, the average manure output is about 20 tonnes a day per centre.

To ramp up the use of the machines and aid in the effective production of manure, zone-wise repair work is undertaken. Maintenance work, such as sharpening of blades, replacing belts, and fixing corroded machines, are being carried out in all centres. So far, work has been completed in 18 centres.

Steps are been taken to replace the damaged machinery. “We have initiated measures to procure six new machines utilising the Corporation’s General Funds,” said M. Vijay Chandran, City Health Officer.

As each centre has a storage capacity of 100 tonnes, steps are taken to utilise it fully. The civic body plans to utilise the Internet of Things (IoT) enabled device to streamline the functioning of the centres. The device will be embedded with sensors, software, and connectivity to collect and exchange data over the Internet, enabling communication and automation. With this, accurate data about the weight of the incoming waste, entry, and exit time of the waste collection trucks and more can be acquired.