Chennai: With the Chennai Corporation stressing on the importance of people to follow green initiatives, asking them to start composting waste in their household, the Ward 173 of the Chennai Corporation have started a new initiative where they process tender coconut waste.
Started just a month ago in MRC Nagar, tender coconut waste is now ground using a machine. The initiative was started by the Corporation in Zone 13 and currently Ramky conservancy workers are taking care of the initiative.
B Praveen, supervisor of the project, says, “It was started a month ago in this zone. All the tender coconut sellers in the locality were asked to bring the leftovers here and since last month, using a machine which grinds the waste, we are processing them. Every day we run the machine till 2 am and we generate 1,000 tonnes of coconut coir pith. The machine will run for two to three hours everyday.”
The pith is now heaped in one corner and Praveen says they are waiting for buyers. “The pith acts as a water-storing agent and if people use it in pots while watering the plants, it can help retaining water which is much needed in this hour. It can also be used as a composting agent,” he says.
The process is being done in MRC Nagar’s waste composting plant which is in operation for a few years now. In the waste composting plant the biodegradable waste collected from the residents is made to decompose and by adding cow dung and water to it, it is then decomposed for 50 days. Then manure is taken out from it and it is ready for sale. According to officials, residents of the locality can also come forward to give their tender coconut husks.