Trash to manure: Kandivli society shows how

Residential societies across the city should take a leaf out of Gokul Heaven Housing Society's book in dealing with its own garbage. The society in Kandivli on Friday installed a three-tonne waste segregation machine to manage its own garbage.

The society, located in Kandivli's Thakur Complex, has spent Rs 8 lakh on the machine. While the price seems steep, it has turned out to be economic for the society that has 285 committee members of which each member contributes Rs 200 per month. This also includes maintenance cost of the machine.

The machine was inaugurated by local MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar who said he would promote it in other societies in the locality as well.

"Apart from the machine cost, there is expenditure on providing a separate shed for it, and providing underground electricity supply. So the approximate per month cost that a resident will bear would be Rs 200," said R Sawant, secretary, Gokul Heaven Housing Society.

The society generates around 100 kg of waste every day. The machine can churn out 30 kg of manure from the decomposed garbage. The manure will then be used by the society at its garden.