Udupi, (The Hindu): Vandse, a small gram panchayat (GP), located near the Western Ghats, has covered all 650 houses and 149 shops, under segregation of waste at source and its scientific management under the ‘Swachh Udupi Mission’ in Udupi district.

This GP has a population of 6,236. It was one of the 13 GPs selected for setting up the Solid and Liquid Waster Resource Management (SLRM) Centre by the district administration eleven months ago. Though the turnaround in keeping the GP clean came within months owing to the painstaking efforts of the panchayat members and eight members handling garbage, the path was not easy.

“When we first went to convince people about waste management, only 50% were in favour. However after the implementation of the scheme, even the skeptics joined in,” said Vijayalakshmi, member, SLRM.

The GP repaired two of its old buildings to set up the SLRM Centre with a compost manufacturing unit behind it. While wet waste is collected from the 149 shops and 240 houses daily twice, dry waste from all 650 houses and 149 shops is collected on a weekly basis. “The remaining 410 houses use wet waste for their cattle and manure in their gardens,” said Udaykumar Shetty, president, GP.

The panchayat sells the compost manure produced at its SLRM Centre to the Horticulture Department at Rs 10 per kg, while dry waste is sold to a vendor chosen by the administration. It collects fees in five categories monthly. The scattered houses have to pay Rs 30 a month for collection of dry waste. The 240 houses located near the GP pay Rs 60 a month, while it is Rs 90 for small shops, Rs 150 for hotels and big shops, and Rs 300 for non-vegetarian hotels. If marriages and other functions are held at houses, Rs 500 is charged to collect the waste.

The panchayat has given a green bucket for wet waste and red bucket for dry waste to houses. It took the panchayat six months to break even after the launch of the scheme. “We collect Rs 33,600 from the fees and Rs55,000 from the sale of manure and dry waste monthly. Our expenses are Rs 85,000 for the salary of eight SLRM staff members and maintenance. It is self-sustaining,” said Mr. Shetty.

The results of SLRM scheme are there for all to see. Rafiq Saheb, a resident, said, “People visiting our panchayat now praise it for its cleanliness.” But the panchayat is not resting on its laurels. “We want to install a bio-gas plant and use the gas produced from wet waste for cooking at our school and anganwadi here. We are also thinking of installing a bio-methanation plant to produce power from the wet waste,” Mr. Shetty said.