Guruvayur Municipality Earns Revenue from Waste Management

Guruvayur Municipality Waste Management

Thrissur: There are several waste management models in our own country that are studied and implemented by various local self-governments. Among them, the Guruvayur model stands out. Once, Guruvayur Municipality faced major challenges with organic waste. However, today, waste has become a source of employment and income for many.

Guruvayur Municipality Organic Waste Management

With the slogan “My Waste, My Responsibility”, Guruvayur Municipality promotes source-level waste management. The municipality collects organic waste only from specific areas, including the Guruvayur temple, the 400 households surrounding the temple, hotels, institutions, and shops within the municipality’s limits.

The collected waste is taken to the municipality’s organic waste processing center, where it is converted into manure. This is done through the windrow composting method, a technique commonly used for organic waste processing in many developed countries, including the U.S. Through this method, organic materials or waste are gathered in long rows for composting.

Guruvayur Municipality collects about 4 tons of organic waste per day, producing around 2 tons of manure. The manure is sold at a price of ₹12 per kilogram. The municipality also provides compost bins and biogas plants to households that do not contribute organic waste, with an 80% subsidy. The necessary inoculum mixture for compost bins is prepared and distributed under the leadership of the Haritha Karma Sena (Green Task Force).

Non-Organic Waste Management

Non-organic waste, including plastic, is collected as per the schedule published in the municipality’s calendar. The Haritha Karma Sena collects plastic waste every month, while e-waste and other non-organic waste items are collected once every three months, as per the calendar’s instructions.

The municipality collects 40 tons of non-organic waste per month, with 29 tons of that waste being sold, generating an average revenue of ₹1.2 lakhs. However, the municipality spends around ₹1.37 lakhs to dispose of rejected waste. Strict action is taken against those who illegally dump waste, said the chairman of the municipality, M. Krishnadas.