Making the best use of waste

Organic fertiliser being produced from waste at the plant of Badhon Society in Kishoreganj. PHOTO: STAR

Sanzida Khanom has set up a compost plant where organic fertiliser is being produced from garbage collected from houses and hotels. The plant also helps keeping the municipal areas clean.

Sanzida is Executive Director of Bandhon Society (BS), a local NGO.

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She has groomed up a team which collects the garbage daily and process those at the factory.

About 1.5 tons of garbage are collected daily from houses and hotels in the town by BS rickshaw vans. The NGO realises Tk 20 from each family and Tk 50 to 100 from each hotel as service charge. The collected garbage is taken to the compost plant at Shadullarchar village in Latibabad union in Kishoreganj Sadar upazila.

Per ton organic fertilizer thus produced is sold at Tk 4000. Each ton of fertiliser is produced from three tons of garbage.

The plant produces more than 15 tons of organic fertiliser, which has been certified by the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) and the Soil Science Department of Dhaka University.

The organic fertiliser, named Bandhon Joiba Sar, is in high demand in Kishoreganj sadar and neighboring upazilas of Hossainpur, Pakundia, Nandail and Issharganj. "We can not meet the increasing demand", Sanzida said talking tot this correspondent.

This year BS expanded its activities. The society now collects harmful waste from hospitals and clinics in the town. This is a commendable job as highly toxic waste is removed from hospitals and gainfully utilised, which, otherwise could spread viral hepatitis, TB and other infectious diseases, some doctors said. This is a great relief to us as untreated hospital waste also pollutes air, water and soil, they said.

BS sources said they collect around 500 kilograms of waste daily from four government hospitals, five clinics and 19 pathological laboratories in the town.

BS has set up an incinerator in which the collected hospital waste, plastic and metallic substances and broken crocaries are burnt.

Talking to this correspondent, lawyer Md Hasanuzzaman of Rathkhola area in the town said, BS is doing a great job to keep the town clean. Garbage earlier were piled up on roadsides posing health hazard and filthy atmosphere as municipal vans used to collect those once in a fortnight. Now, all roads and compounds of houses are clean as BS collects garbage daily.

Sanzida said her Bandhon Society took the initiative to collect garbage in 2002. "We got financial support from the Department of Environment (DoE) from 2002 to June 2004 but now we are self-reliant".

BS also formed committees in all wards comprising ward commissioners and local elite to create awareness among people to keep their areas clean.

The committees hold meetings regularly and monitor the clean-up drive in wards.

Shanzida said over 100 people are earning their livelihood through BS' waste management programme.

A farmer said the organic fertiliser procured from BS at Tk 4 per kilogram is more effective for crops than chemical fertiliser which costs about Tk 15 per kilgram.

Kishoreganj Municipal Chairman Abu Taher Miah said, BS has done a great job as the municipality has no place to dispose of waste.