While the MCD’s garbage segregation plan lags behind, students are pitching in to help. From April 15 for the next fortnight, students of 13 schools will be competing with each other in promoting the ‘Home Composting’ system.
The home composting kit has bins for biodegradable waste, mud and composting. Under the ‘War on Delhi’s Monstrous Garbage’ competition, students selling the maximum number of kits in their neighbourhoods will be declared winners.
The students will have to commit residents towards practising home composting — the process of converting organic kitchen waste into compost.
The kit has been developed by Alchemy Social Infrastructure Agency with the expertise of environmentalist Dr Iqbal Malik. Rahul Sen, the company’s director, said: ‘‘Delhi collects 8,000 tonnes of garbage a day, of which 40 per cent is bio-degradable. With landfills almost exhausted, the only option is for households to compost garbage.’’
Malik said: ‘‘Rather than using chemicals, people must be educated to turn waste into compost and sell it. And having students to do this is great.’’.
The schools competing are Vasant Valley, Shri Ram (Gurgaon, Aravali and Vasant Vihar), DPS R.K. Puram, Modern School Vasant Vihar, Summerfields, Frank Antony, G.D. Goenka, Mount Carmel Convent (Anand Niketan and Dwarka), Sanskriti and St Froebel School.
The voluntary signing up for the competition is underway. Natasha Trivedi of Class XII, Vasant Valley, said: ‘‘The response has been very good. Everyone from classes VI to XII wants to participate. We feel proud to be able to make a difference in the city.’’
The kit, with a manual, costs Rs 1,500 for a house and can be shared by three flats for Rs 2,500. Students will get 10 per cent for every kit sold.
Though the MCD is not involved, Commissioner Rakesh Mehta supported the concept of roping in students. ‘‘The MCD is positive towards anything that promotes community or home composting, which in turn supports segregation of garbage. Waste management is a challenge that the MCD can’t handle alone. As far as selling the kits is concerned, segregation in the long run has to be commercially viable.’’
Referring to the campaign against plastic bags and crackers, Sen said that students have shown they are willing to work to make the city a better place.