Ever since it began operations on August 1, 2021, the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Centre of Nitte Gram Panchayat (Karkala Taluk, Udupi district of Karnataka) has provided effective waste management services to 41 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the Blocks of Karkala, Udupi, Kaup and Hebri that come under the purview of this project.

The project is supervised by the Zilla Panchayat of Udupi.  While Saahas Zero Waste Private Limited provides technical guidance for project implementation, the operation of the facility is handled by Mangala Resource Management Private Limited, Mangalore.

Objectives of the project:

• To provide centralised waste management services with limited human resource utilization
• To derive maximum resources from the waste and prevent unscientific waste management while protecting the environment
• To increase the efficiency of human resources by using simple machines
• To dispose non-recyclable waste such as multi-layer plastics to cement factories
• To dispose waste to authorized recycling centres  
• To provide efficient facilities, social security, and promote health and safety of workers
• To maintain records on waste management

Process:  Dry waste collected door to door within the project area is brought to the solid waste management (SWM) centres where it is weighed and packed before loading onto the MRF station's waste collection vehicle every week. The waste thus collected is again weighed in the MRF centre and stored in the storage compartments.

It is then divided into about 25 to 30 sections with the help of a conveyer belt. The sorted waste is then bailed using a bailing machine. Recycled waste is sold to authorized recycling companies. Non-recyclable waste is transported to cement factories for the purpose of co-processing.

Unit capacity:  The MRF unit has a 1000 sq. ft building and is capable of handling 10 tonnes of waste per day.  It has separate sections for waste storage, sorting and bailing units, in addition to an office, a security room, a rest room and toilet facility.  Other amenities include a conveyor belt, a baling machine, a stacker, a fire safety facility, a generator, a CCTV, a 70-ton capacity way bridge and 7-ton capacity truck.

Service charges: A separate bank account for the MRF is being maintained by the Nitte GP into which GPs are required to deposit monthly service charge; the Chairman or Member Secretary are signatories to the account.  An invoice is submitted to the Joint Committee and Multiple Gram Panchayats by the MRF Operator with supportive documents before the 5th of every month.  The GPs are required to deposit service fees into the Bank Account of this Joint Committee within 7 days of receipt of the invoice.

Role of the GPs:  

• To inform households, commercial establishments, and other waste producers about the procedure for waste segregation and collection, at their own cost
• Wet waste and hazardous waste from households should be done at GP level
• Segregate waste collected within their jurisdiction, store in dry units, ensure dry waste is odourless and deliver it to the MRF vehicle
• Waste collected at GP level should be packed in bags 
• A vehicle should be available to transport waste to prevent waste dumping
• If a GP wishes the MRF to collect bulk waste, the MRF operator should be notified two days in advance
• Timely payment of service fee to MRF operator.  If waste collected is less than expected, 50 per cent of service fee needs to be paid

Funding:  A sum of Rs 250 lakhs has been utilized for the project under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen); Rs. 8.32 lakhs under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme; Rs.28.35 lakhs under the 15th Finance Commission Scheme, Rs. 10 lakhs under the Gram Vikas fund; Rs.23 lakhs from Nitte Panchayat’s own fund.   

Outcome and Impact: 

• Quantity of waste collected has increased from 1-2 tons to 4-5 tons after MRF was setup
• Waste dumping and public littering has reduced enormously
• The project changed to a revenue neutral model after MRF operations began
• Awareness on scientific handling and disposal of different categories of waste has increased among the public
• MRF centre sells waste to authorized recyclers at higher rates
• The bailing system allows for bailing and selling of bulk quantities
• Non-recyclable waste is shipped to the cement companies

Plan for scale-up:  Plans are in the pipeline to build 4 Plastic Waste Management Units (PWMU) at Badagabettu, Kedur, Thrasi and Hebri to support the remaining 144 Gram Panchayats. 

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