Hyderabad: Leaves scattered all over the parks and gardens may soon be converted into fertiliser. The GHMC’s urban biodiversity wing has embarked on this project by taking leaves collected by sanitation staff.
The leaves have been collected in piles at Indira Park, Sanjeevaiah Park, Red Hills Park, Lotus Pond and Secunderabad dumpyard. The addition of water and soil to these piles will help produce compost, which can be used in homes as well as by gardeners and farmers.
Dry leaves that fall to the ground are regularly burnt with garbage, but experts suggest they be decomposed and reused. Organic materials, when applied as mulches or incorporated into the soil, will slowly undergo breakdown into the humus.
Mr V. Damodar, director of the urban biodiversity wing, said, “We have recently started working to facilitate decomposition of fallen leaves, an idea initiated by GHMC commissioner Janardhan Reddy. This is much better than burning them or stuffing them into garbage bags for trash haulers to take away.”
He said the process takes three months. “We are following this process in different parks and waiting for results.”The GHMC is planning to levy a fine on those caught burning leaves or any other garbage.
Mr Subba Rao, an environmentalist, said, “They should issue notices to all institutes to follow the same process in their campuses as well, and also in public gardens. Within the campus, it should be the institute,s responsibility; outside campus, the onus is on the GHMC.”
What composting does
- Reduces need for fertilisers to near zero
- Retains moisture
- Promotes healthy flower production and foliage growth
- Provides 90% to 95% of nitrogen, a key nutrient for plant growth
- Offers plant-available phosphorus and plant-available sulphur
- Causes no harm to plants or soil
- Free from artificial fertilisers, benefits herbivores
- Can help reduce deaths among birds
- Helps insects and worms thrive
- Reduces water erosion during excess rainfall
