NKDA installs 2 composting machines to process organic waste

Kolkata: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is contemplating to find out the effectiveness of manures produced from compost. The NKDA has installed two machines at two of its markets in this regard.

One composting machine has been installed at Street 45 near the resettled stall market while the other one is in the market at AA 1C. Both machines process the organic wastes thrown away by vendors but use slightly different techniques. After processing, the odourless brown soil-like composts are then bagged but so far the farmers and nursery owners have not shown much interest to use them. It was found that farmers are not ready to change their age-old practices.

NKDA has decided to work with IIT-Kharagpur. Moreover, last week Prof Dilip Kumar Swain and his research team met senior officials of NKDA and its engineers to discuss the matter. The team visited a spot in Pathorghata, where 12 testbeds will be set up. This is to test the effectiveness of composts generated from the two machines at two markets of NKDA.

NKDA is making 12 testbeds, each 9m x 9m size, as advised by IIT. In these testbeds two will serve as controls (no addition to existing soil), two will have compost from 1C Market, two will have compost from the resettled market and three will have other fertilisers and nutrients with or without NKDA compost.

Plants (baby corn) will be sown on each of the testbeds and results will be studied and analysed. The process will take 3-4 months. Once the report of IIT is received the NKDA will make future planning whether to go ahead with the process of producing manure from compost or try out something else.