222 S. GALAB, S. SUDHAKAR REDDYAND AND ISA BAUD
contribute to more reuse and recycling. Nothing is known about the way the residues
are finally disposed of, and whether this happens safely.
This unit employed ten labourers and whenever there was more work, they employed
more people. The labour cost per month was Rs 10,000 for the workers Women
workers are paid 70 percent of the male wage rates, and there is differentiation among
the men as well. These workers were provided with accommodation in the unit itself,
but not given any other type of social security. One labourer was given training in the
specific skills required for releasing worms and preparing the vermi-beds. This
suggests that employment provided was regular for a small group of people, and irreg-
ular for another group. Income levels were half of what was paid by Exnora, and there
was no information on health and safety features. Provision of accommodation also
increased income implicitly.
The expenditure on cow dung was Rs 200 per lorry and electricity charges Rs 1,000
per month. This brought total costs per month to an estimated Rs 12,000 If the
maximum production was reached and all the compost sold, the basic income was
sufficient at Rs 15,000 per month. These figures suggest that financial viability was
possible, but that there was little margin for future investment nor for repayment of
initial investments in the unit.
SPEQL was planning to start another unit in the Monda Market at Secunderabad. They
have not yet reached an agreement with the government on this aspect. The organisa-
tion faced problems from the fruit market committee in 1999. They were asked to
vacate the land but due to government intervention, they continued to do composting.
However, they had to give some land to the fruit market. The conflicts with the fruit
market organisation suggest that local businesses contest the legitimacy of the
composting activities.
10.6. CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PARTNERSHIPS TO ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENTIn conclusion, an attempt has been made to examine the following issues in case of
organic waste management;
- The process of composting was carried out by SPEQL as follows: garbage was unloaded into three
pits dug for this purpose. The garbage was dumped into these pits before being laid on the vermi-beds.
The large items of waste were cut into small pieces by the shredder in order to make the process of
decomposition quicker. The biodegradable material in the pits was allowed to decompose for 15 days.
The first layer of a vermi-bed consisted of coconut coir, which absorbed the water to keep the bed
moist. Over this layer garbage was spread and cow dung slurry treatment given. After introducing the
earthworms, garbage was spread on the bed. This process led to the compost being ready after 60
days.