Turning dumpyard into a green lung

Sion hospital is on it’s way to becoming the first BMC-run hospital to process it’s own biodegradable waste.

In a bid to make the surroundings greener, nearly 150 students, doctors and employees of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and Sion hospital cleaned nearly two acres of land and dug up a compost pit in the ground opposite the college canteen on Wednesday.

“The students filled the pit with dry leaves that were collected during the clean up,” said Mohit Upadhyaya, a third year MBBS student.

Nusrat Khatri Afzal and Nusrat Khatri, a Kandivli-based environmentalist couple who helped the students said, “The organic manure will be used by students to nurture a variety of plants which will be sown in the area we cleared on Wednesday.”

The hospital generates six metric tonnes of garbage every day. “One earthmover and six dumpers were deployed to clear the accumulated debris and wastes,” said Sanjay Kurhade, assistant commissioner, F/North ward, BMC.

Dr Suleman Merchant, dean of Sion hospital said the cleared area will be earmarked for a basketball court, a garden and a recreational sitting space.