Date:12/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/06/12/stories/2004061202580600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Waste centres stop the journey to abattoirs

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JUNE 11. Waste has virtually saved 800 calves from being sold to abattoirs in Vellore district, Nagapatinam and Chennai suburbs.

Centres established by Exnora International (EI) to convert solid waste into organic manure, sheltered the calves, M. B. Nirmal, founder-president, told reporters, here today.

Mechanisation of farming consigned several male calves to the abattoir, but timely EI action saved their lives.

Four calves were recently rescued in Vellore and soon the zero waste centres, spread across the State, accommodated 800 calves.

The EI volunteers fed them with garbage collected from vegetable markets and used plantain leaves from hotels. The animal dung was used to make manure and supplied to farmers.

Mr. Nirmal said the EI would soon establish 20 demonstration stalls in Chennai to highlight the need for using organic manure for crops.

Farmers' support would be sought to set up the stalls, sell fruits and other produce raised with organic manure.

Arrangements were being made to secure financial assistance from Indian Bank to the farmers for setting up the stalls.

Solid waste management (SWM) projects established in eight village panchayats, six town panchayats and two wards in the Vellore municipality had become a model.

Recently Rural Development Ministry officials visited the areas to study the impact of the programme. The project would be replicated in other parts of Tamil Nadu.

EI would encourage women self-help groups to raise earthworms, considered friends of farmers.

They could sell a worm at Re. 1 to the agriculturalists. Also on the cards was an SWM project at Tirunagar town panchayat in Madurai.

Similar projects would be set up at each of the 13 blocks in the district with civic body involvement, Mr. Nirmal said.