First of its kind material recovery facility at Nitte ready for inauguration

The unit covers 42 gram panchayats in Karkala, Udupi, Kapu and Hebri taluks

A material recovery facility (MRF) to scientifically handle and process 10 tonnes of dry waste every day. which was being set up at Nitte village in Karkala taluk by the Udupi zilla panchayat, is ready for inauguration on April 3.

Claiming that the facility is the first of its kind in rural India, zilla panchayat CEO Y. Naveen Bhat said Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa would inaugurate the MRF at 9 a.m. The unit is capable of deriving over 90% of resources from collected dry waste and could effectively handle the waste with minimal manpower.

The ZP plans to handle dry waste with least manpower in a centralised way for efficient handling, and recover maximum resources so as to reduce harm to the environment. It aims at enhancing manpower efficiency using simple machines, and dispatch processed waste to the final and authorised recycling centre.

The project was being implemented with the sanction of the rural drinking water and sanitisation department covering 42 gram panchayats in Karkala, Udupi, Kapu and Hebri taluks with technical guidance from Sahas Zero Waste Pvt. Ltd., and management by Mangala Resource Management Pvt. Ltd., Mangaluru, a three-year-old start-up. The estimated cost of the project was ₹3.2 crore.

Dry waste collected door-to-door would be taken to the MRF where it would be segregated to around 30 sub-components. Recyclable bailed waste would be sent to recycling units while non-recyclable waste would be sent to cement factories for co-processing.

The MRF is spread over 10,000 sqft, employs 30 personnel, has storage, segregation and bailing units, an office, a security room and a rest room. A conveyor belt, bailing machine, stacker, fire safety, generator, CCTV, 70-tonne capacity weigh bridge and a 7-tonne capacity truck are the other components.

Dr. Bhat said the facility is expected to solve dry waste handling issues in 42 panchayats by employing local people and herald a new era in dry waste handling. Detailed project reports were being prepared for two more MRFs while a proposal for a mini MRF at Badagubettu village has been sent to the government for approval.