Through a self-sustainable model, Bihar’s Gopalganj district administration is not only keeping its panchayats clean in accordance with the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ model, but is also making organic compost and generating employment. Because of this 3-in-1 model, till now, more than 4200 rural folks have found employment. This model is being developed in such a way that panchayats can start paying salaries from their own earnings.
It all started with the making of organic compost from household wastes. Together, the panchayats made 10,000 kg of compost in the last 2 years and generated more than Rs. 55.50 lakh revenue in the last year alone.
Indian Masterminds interacted with Deputy Development Commissioner & C.E.O. Zila Parishad, Mr. Abhishek Ranjan, an IAS officer of 2018 batch, and Mr. Shashi Ranjan, District Consultant Solid Waste Liquid Management, to know more about the model.
THE MODEL
Under Swachh Bharat Mission Abhiyan, Goaplganj district in Bihar is developing a self-sustainable model, in which waste management is producing fruitful results and generating good revenue. Door-to-door collection of garbage is being done in every village and the villagers are charged only Re. 1 per day for collection from their home. The wastes are then brought to the Waste Processing Units (WPU) in the Panchayat and segregated. After that, the recycled waste like plastic is sold.
But, the biodegradable waste is used to produce organic fertilizer, made with the NADEP method. NADEP method of composting is aerobic decomposition of organic matter. This method takes care of all the disadvantages of heaping with farm residue and cattle shed wastes, in the open.
The quality of this fertilizer has been tested and found to be very good in the laboratory of Bihar Agriculture Department.
Mr. Abhishek Ranjan said, “There are 230 panchayats in the district. WPU has been already established in 100 of these while work is going on in the remaining panchayats, which will be completed soon.”
This project was started in 2021-22. In the first year, the district administration worked in 52 panchayats. In the next year of 2022-23, the administration covered 88 more panchayats. And, in 2023-24, work is being done in 90 panchayats, from which, 35 have already been covered.
THE BRAND
The organic compost that is being made has been branded as ‘Gopali Compost’. The farmers who are using it are full of praise for the quality. Recently, this fertilizer was displayed in many agriculture fairs, where it was highly lauded.
Mr. Shashi Ranjan said, “Most of the fertilizers are sold to farmers at the local level at cheap prices. But, when it is packed and sold as brand ‘Gopali Compost’, it is sold at the rate of Rs. 15 per kg. Till now, more than 1.50 lakh worth compost has been sold this year.”
BENEFITS
The biggest benefit of this project is the generation of employment, as every panchayat is employing at least 13 people. The second advantage is that the panchayats have now started looking clean. Due to the disposal of all the wastes, there are no garbage heaps to be seen.
Thus, with one stone, the Gopalganj district administration has managed to kill two birds. By launching Gopali Compost, they cleaned up all the panchayats, and have also generated employment and revenue.
#Gopalganj #Bihar गोपलगंज जिला के पंचायतों के WPU में नाडेप विधि से तैयार जैविक खाद ब्रांड नाम "गोपाली कम्पोस्ट" @Dist_Gopalganj @LSBA_Bihar @IPRD_Bihar @Rahulkumar_IAS @SBMGramin @ratnishverma @DdcGopalganj pic.twitter.com/601yysfB96
— Swachh Gopalganj (@lsba_gopalganj) December 21, 2023
