“Kachra Ma Thi Kanchan”: A unique initiative for Solid Waste Management at Dumad village of Vadodara

Gandhinagar: The ‘Swachhta Hi Seva Pakhvadiyu’ was held, across the country, from September 15th to October 2nd. The Gujarat Government decided to extend it for two more months. The aim is to increase the beauty and cleanliness of Gujarat through active public participation.

Dumad Gram Panchayat in Vadodara taluka has achieved a success in solid waste management serving as a source of inspiration for other villages of the state. This initiative was launched on April 1, 2019, through the collaboration of CSR and the ‘Kachre Se Azadi Foundation.’ In April 2021, the Gram Panchayat accepted responsibility for this initiative, which has since been carried out seamlessly in the specified area, with workers receiving compensation for their efforts.

To ensure the active support of the community for solid waste management and sanitation, comprehensive awareness campaigns were conducted, such as educating residents on the importance of segregating dry and wet waste effectively. As a result, there is now more awareness among the villagers. At the household level, locals are diligently separating green and dry waste. The waste is collected from more than 1380 families in the village.

Fertilizer is made from the waste using the waste processing unit in the village

The Gram Panchayat ensures that green and dry waste are transported separately to the waste processing unit. At the facility, the green waste undergoes a specific treatment process where it is placed in a rocket composter, supplemented with bacterial culture, and then transferred to a compost pit for a 30-day composting period. This process produces both liquid and dry organic fertilizer. The resulting organic solid and liquid fertilizer, derived from the compost pit, is later distributed to the farmers in the village.

Bricks and benches are made from plastic waste

The Gram Panchayat separates plastic waste from the dry waste stream into seven different categories. This plastic waste is compacted using baling machines to reduce its volume, and being transported to companies in Anand and Ahmedabad. These companies utilize plastic waste to manufacture bricks and tiles. DeshGujarat