In Delhi’s Tagore Garden, organic waste can get you free compost

In a first, the west zone of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has from Monday begun a scheme — ‘Geela Kooda Lao Aur Khaad Le Jao (Get your organic waste, take compost for free)’ — at Tagore Garden.

At a function held near a temple in the area on Monday, deputy commissioner Purva Garg, superintending engineer Rajiv Jain and other SDMC officials gave away brown paper bags full of compost to interested local residents, who could use it for home gardening.

The civic body officials said the compost given to the residents were made from the organic kitchen waste handed by the colony residents. “This is the first time that we have completed the cycle of taking their organic waste, transforming it into manure and giving it back to people as compost,” Jain said.

Another official said the compost was prepared from waste handed over by over 400 families in the area. Beginning December last year, SDMC was encouraging residents of some blocks in the area to segregate their garbage at the household-level. They were asked to maintain two garbage bins (green for organic and blue for recyclable) and even keep plastic composting drums with aerating holes on the terrace to dry and compost the green waste, if possible.

“With help from the resident welfare associations, at least 50 tonne green waste was collected. They were deposited at the three SDMC composting pits next to a dhalao-turned- Fixed Compactor Transfer Station on Najafgarh Road. In three-four months, with simple sun-drying and regular upturning, it has yielded us at least one tonne of rich manure,” said Jain.

Residents were also told that they could give away their organic waste to the daily garbage collector, who would deposit it at the pit if they cannot manage the time to compost at their terrace or home. Many young professionals, especially those with tiny balconies or no gardens, had complained that they have no space to keep composting drums which may also smell, SDMC officials said.

Pankaj Malhotra, vice president, Tagore Garden RWAs Federation, said, “We spoke to all the families and told them to segregate waste. I do it at home and it gives me immense satisfaction to realise that my total garbage volume has come down by 70% and that am contributing lesser to the landfills.”

SDMC officials said the demand for manure from their composting pits has already started coming in from places like Rajouri Garden.