Composters back at work

These gated communities had a great system of in-situ composting, but lost the momentum along the way only to regain it now

Deccan Enclave, a 50-unit apartment complex at T.M. Maistry Street in Thiruvanmiyur not only makes compost with the kitchen waste collected from every household but also sells the excess “harvest” to communities in the locality.

“We would have sold at least 300 kilos of the black compost in the last six months, charging ₹15 a kilo,” says Purushothaman Sriraman, secretary of the residents association.

This is commendable as the community faced many challenges in its composting journey, even hitting a massive roadblock that had its two composters staying idle for a few years.

In 2018, the resident association spent a few lakhs of rupees to invest in two composters but in less than two years maggot infestation forced the residents to stop this activity. “The maggots spread into our water tank, making it difficult for us to continue with the work,” says Sriraman. Maggots help break down waste, but weather conditions can interfere with the process. It takes considerable determination for a community to continue despite such setbacks and opposition from residents.

“In 2022, we resumed the work after overcoming the initial hiccups,” says Sriraman, adding that another community near them has also resumed composting.

SWM (Solid Waste Management) rules of 2016 wants communities to implement waste segregation. They do not mandate in-situ composting for large communities. If communities do not compost their waste then it becomes the Corporation’s responsibility to manage the organic waste that is generated.

“We expect responsible communities to handle organic waste within their own compound,” says D. Sukumar, superintending engineer, solid waste management, Greater Chennai Corporation.