Compost from City Waste Hits Market: BMC Launches Exclusive Outlet to Sell ‘Mo Khata’

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to provide good quality compost at affordable prices for agricultural use, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up an exclusive outlet to sell ‘Mo Khata’ (My Compost) in the Capital City today. Organic or wet waste is being processed in Micro Composting Centres using ‘enzyme solution’ and converted to compost-manure.

The ‘Mo Khata’ kiosk being run and managed by Swachha Sathis, located at Rajmahal Square was inaugurated by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra in presence of G Mathivathanan, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha and Prem Chandra Chaudhary, Commissioner, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Suvendu Sahoo, Deputy Commissioner (sanitation), Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, among other officials.

“This (Mo Khata) is a high-quality compost made of wet waste being generated in the city after being processed at Micro Composting Centre. It’s a sustainable waste management technique and will help in keeping the city clean and garbage-free as it will reduce burden on landfills. Besides, this will also reduce transportation cost, quantity of waste and carbon footprints,” said Mahapatra, who unveiled the compost packets.

The compost will be of great help to farmers who are now turning their attention to organic farming. These days, many farmers are not interested to use chemical fertilizers in the land whereas organic fertilizers boost land fertility, giving a boost to production.

To make it affordable, the Civic Body has fixed its price – Rs 125 for 5 kg and Rs 445 for 20 kg of packets. Besides, a discount of Rs 25 for 5 kg and Rs 45 for 20 kg packets is available.
One can also place purchase order over phone. The mobile number to make order is +91 781 504 2331. In this mode, a customer needs to pay the delivery charges in addition to the cost of the compost.
“We have opened this outlet at a prominent location in order help people who are interested in buying good quality compost at affordable rates,” said Choudhary.

Soon after the inauguration, many people were seen coming to near the outlet and started enquiring about the compost. And, a few of them also purchased it on the first day itself.

“It is a great initiative from BMC to provide good quality organic compost to people at a price lower than market rate. This compost can greatly help in improving plant growth and health,” said Shri Ashok Mohanty, a businessman from Rabi Talkies in the city, who purchased a 5 kg packet of ‘Mo Khata’ from the counter.

As of now, eight MCCs – three at Nicco Park for Ward No – 35, 36, 28 & 29, Laxmi Sagar for Ward No – 32 and 33, two at Unit – VIII for Ward No -51, 47 and 48, one Pandara for Ward No 18 and 19, and another at the Temporary Transit Centre (TTS) near Sainik School for Ward No – 12 and 17 – are operational.

Bhubaneswar generates over 520 tonnes of waste every day. Out it, around 250 tonnes is wet waste. Quantity of garbage collected daily required 45 days of processing to convert to compost.

Once all 43 MCCs become fully operational, the city can produce nearly 50 tonnes of compost per day.

The BMC has roped in Swaccha Sathis selected from various women self-help groups (SHGs). They were trained on how to handle segregated biodegradable waste, shred and process it to make compost. One MCC is being run and operated by four Swachha Sathis and six workers.

Proceedings from the sales will be used for development of their MCCs and payment or wages of Swaccha Sathis.

The Civic Body has also running campaign to generate awareness on door-to-door collection of garbage and segregation waste. The garbage collection vehicles have separate bins to collect biodegradable waste and other waste, thereby ensuring segregation at source.

The BMC has roped in Swaccha Sathis selected from various women self-help groups (SHGs) are provided training on how to handle segregated biodegradable waste, shred and process it to make compost.
Meanwhile, the Civic Body is carrying out a campaign in the city to sensitize residents on source segregation of waste for effective management of Micro Composting Centres (MCCs) at ward level. As part of the campaign officials of BMC sanitation wing visited households and markets across the city to educate people about segregating waste at their end.
Swachh Sathis will act as change agents to bring about collective behavioural changes at the household level for door-to-door collection of segregated waste and ensure decentralised composting of wet waste and collection of dry waste.