Even the tiniest microbes could help spruce up our foul environment when let loose on domestic waste. Researchers in Delhi are now advocating the use of this miniscule life form to solve the huge problem of urban waste. These tiny do-gooders do not just clean up the garbage but convert it into useful products
A CLEANER and healthier world may not
be a distant dream if we, as its citizens,
learn to use its resources to the maximum. For achieving this, conserving
energy through means like recycling
waste and bio-degradable matter would
make all the difference. The department
of microbiology under the School of
Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU), has developed just
such waste-eating microbes.
Microbes offer long-term, sustainable solutions that protect the environment apart from generating employment oppurtunities. Biomass, comprising substances like dead leaves, household vegetable and fruit wastes, and
hedge trimmings could be made to
decompose with the use of microorganisms which the JNLT researchers
have developed.
As of now, large pockets of urban
India, in particular, are submerged in
rather unhygienic conditions. In capital
Delhi, the disposal of the carcasses of
animals at various dumping sites presents a formidable health hazard. The
perenially choked open drainage system
and the mounds of garbage do not seem
to move the city's builders, architects,
private estate agents or the Delhi
Development Authority, On an average
the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) lifts about 4,300 metric tonnes of
the city's garbage everyday with its 430
strong fleet of trucks. But ironically,
most of these trucks spew black fumes
(unspent fuel containing toxic gases).
All such eye sores could easily be converted into useful products were we to
employ these friendly microbes.
The decomposed organic material
could serve as a nutrient-rich compost.
The quality of the compost so produced
is far superior to the commercially available khad and chemical fertilisers. The
compost also proves to be more
immune to pathogenic organisms and
pests (termites). For instance, straws
from various agricultural crops like rice,
wheat and barley could be used for
mushroom cultivation. Normally fungi
are used to produce certain enzymes
which break down complex polymers
into glucose and other simpler chemicals. However, this is time-consuming
and delays the production of edible
mushrooms. Instead, if waste straws
could be pre-treated with microbes and
then sprayed on the mushroom seeds,
there could be a considerable reduction
in production time. Also, more cycles of
cultivation could be achieved, to
enhance the cultivation of mushrooms,
reaping greater profits for the cultivators.
Other industrially useful chemicals
could be produced from cellulose, a
major component of most organic matter. Cellulose could be reduced to simple sugars (glucose). In practice the glucose could be utilised by bacteria, both
aerobic and anaerobic, for the production of biogas (methane) and densified
fuel briquettes.
Agro-wastes may also be converted
into a perfect substitute for wood.
Available in panels, it may be ideal for
all kinds of wood work replacing ply,
board and wood. Tomato and potato
peels could be used to make adhesives
and replace synthetic fevicol and other
chemical glues.
With appropriate microbial management, the organic biomass could be
composted in each locality itself and can
be distributed to local residents at a
nominal cost. Builders and town planners should develop compost pits in
each residential area.
One such programme was devised
by Ajit Varma of the School of Life
Sciences, JNU, in collaboration with K
Chandra Of DLF Universal, Gurgaon, Haryana. The waste organic biomass
was spread into compost pits and
sprinkled with a mixture of specially
developed microbes (bacteria and
yeast). This was layered with thin films
of animal dung, slurry and lime (serving
as a deodarant) followed by native soils.
These layers were repeated several times
till the compost pits were totally
covered. The required moisture content
for effective microbial fermentation was
maintained by the sprinkling of unfiltered ground water or waste water at
regular intervals. Within 90 days, the
biomass was completely composted and
served as fertiliser for agricultural, horticultural and floricultural purposes.
If such a technology were to be
developed on a commercial scale, even
businesses could benefit from the same
while contributing to environmental
protection and sustainability.
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