Solid Waste Management and Recycling

URBAN ORGANIC SOLID WASTE: PRACTICES INHYDERABAD 219

• The farm workers were unwilling to load and unload the trucks with solid waste
  due to the presence of blades, nails, other sharp materials and the foul smell;


• The transportation of the solid waste from dumpsites to the villages had become
  more expensive;


• The farmers felt that the cow dung/poultry waste was cheaper compared to the
  solid waste; and


• Last but not least, the composition of the waste changed to include much more
  inorganic waste and inert materials from construction (especially after privatisa-
  tion of collection).^9

10.5. COMPOSTING EXPERIENCES IN THE CITY AND

THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

In this section, the composting experiences described above are analysed according to
their contributions to sustainable development.

Decentralised composting of single-source waste is carried out privately without
outside interventions, and seems to be successful, presumably due to the fact that they
are composting single source waste. In fact, this private market of single source waste
producers and buyers is one which can be usefully explored in the future. Decentral-
ised composting through NGOs and CBOs is heavily promoted, but is still in the
experimental stages in the few locations where it occurs These experiments will be
analysed according to the criteria developed earlier (Baud et al., 2001).

Sukuki Exnora, an NGO affiliated to the Chennai-based Excellence-Novelty and
Radical (Exnora) International, was established in 1998. It started a vermicomposting
unit in July 1999. whose general aim was to ‘involve the common man in environ-
mental conservation’ with special reference to solid waste management^10. Sukuki
Exnora became the contractor for waste collection in several areas of the city:
Begumpet, Methodist colony and Minister’s colony, providing collection and cleaning
services as a part of Hyderabad’s drive toward privatisation. On the advice of the
Additional Commissioner of the MCH, they took up a project called “Zero Garbage
or No Garbage to Landfill Site”. As part of the project, Sukuki Exnora took up vermi-
composting projects in July 1999 in association with the MCH at Jubilee Hills and
Indira Park^11 (see also earlier description). These activities contribute to better
resource recovery, as the total waste collected from a neighbourhood is separated, sold
or composted. Although a residue remains, which goes back to the municipal dump-
site, access to the waste for recovery purposes is greater than on the street. On the basis

9. The outcomes as indicated by the farmers are based on local experience. There was no attempt in this
   study to verify local knowledge through experiments. However, current use of solid waste in farming
   is waning.


10. In 2001, their activities have also expanded to other areas, as indicated on their website.