Harassed by the mismanagement of the Laloor waste dump yard nearby, Little Flower Catholic Church at Olarikkara in Thrissur has taken the lead in treating solid waste at source for 1,200 families, including those of other communities, who live in the vicinity.
“Why should we wait for the government to do everything?” asked Fr Paul Vattakuzhy, the vicar, who took the initiative to popularise the pipe composting method as a solution to the waste management crisis.
The church distributed two PVC pipes, 2.5 metres in length and eight inches in diameter to each of the houses for the composting process.
“The advantage of pipe composting is that it does not require large space and is ideal for city dwellings. In one to one-and-a half months, the manure will be ready.
We also use bacteria to speed up the process,” Fr Paul explained.
He said around 30 Catholic families live near the Laloor waste dumping yard of the municipal corporation, which pollutes the air and water bodies in the area. “If each family is responsible for the waste it generates, we will not have a crisis like Laloor.”
The corporation had promised to subsidise 90 per cent of the cost, but has not delivered.
“The church spent over `8 lakh for the project. Even after one month we are yet to get the subsidy due to red tape,” Fr Paul said.