World Environment Day: Over 70k tonnes of Dal waste to be converted into manure

Srinagar: India’s leading energy solutions company has tied up with the government to convert 70,000 tonnes of waste including weeds, and lilies from Dal Lake into organic manure and allied products.

Clean Effentech International Pvt Ltd (CEF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED) have joined hands for the implementation of the project which will begin in August this year.

As per CEF, more than 20 thousand tonnes of organic manure will be generated from the waste of Dal Lake under the project.

“The process will begin at the waste processing plant of CEF Group, where Dal Lake waste will be treated and processed in the plant being set up in Srinagar,” Maninder Singh Nayyar, Founder and CEO of CEF said.

He said they have the technology, expertise, and experience of converting this extracted waste into 24,000 tons of organic manure annually.

“We are aiming at resolving the problem at the root level. Every year, thousands of tonnes of waste is generated from Dal Lake, which pollutes the environment,” he said.

Nayyar said through this project, organic manure will be easily available to the farmers of the valley at reasonable costs.

“It will help farmers go organic farming and serve waste management purposes for people involved in jobs at Dal Lake. Moreover, organic manure produced from the waste will be available at local farmers’ disposal, boosting their yield and promoting organic farming in the region. In addition, the waste processing plant will generate employment opportunities for local people. This project will elevate organic farming in the region and aid in replacing chemical fertilizers,” he said.

Pertinently lake waste like weeds, lilies, and others accounts for 70,000 tonnes of waste every year in Dal Lake hindering boat movements in the lake and causing problems for locals earning from Dal Lake tourism.

Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice Chairman of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), said the project will be a sustainable solution to the pollution of the lake.

“Lake waste has been a long-time problem, and we are glad that CEF Group and NAFED in collaboration are providing sustainable solutions. In addition to waste processing, organic manure will be produced in the state itself, which will benefit local farmers and communities financially,” he said.

Lake Conservation and Management Authority(LCMA) every year has been initiating a cleanliness drive in Dal Lake. However, the mass-scale growth of lily pads and other weeds has been a concern for environmental experts, who have been demanding a permanent solution to it.