KEM becomes first civic hosp to produce manure

Mumbai: KEM Hospital has become the first Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run hospital to start a composting project on its premises under an eco-friendly initiative.

All dry waste that isn’t surgical in nature will be composted in boxes installed inside the hospital premises to produce manure. This manure will then be used as fertiliser for trees and plants located in the vicinity of the hospital.

The waste to be composted will include the garbage that is collected after a day’s sweeping of the hospital premises.

It has been proposed by the civic authorities that this composting plant should be used to compost the waste of the adjoining areas in the near future.

Dr Avinash Supe, Dean, KEM Hospital said, “Instead of polluting the vicinity of the hospital premises, we will use the waste to make fertiliser, which will be later used for the trees around the hospital.”

“The compost plant has been installed at various spots of the KEM Hospital and instructions have been given to the hospital staff for volunteering to make fertilisers,” he added.

The method of decomposition of waste using microorganisms under anaerobic conditions to form humus is called composting. In this process, the garbage is laid in between alternate layers of soil. It is left that way for at least a month, after which if the garbage turns completely black and there is no foul smell, the process is complete and the black substance, called humus, can be used as manure.

This is easier to make as well as cheap when compared to fertilisers that are costly and harmful.