Vermicomposting:  A panacea for Solid Waste Management

Solid wastes generated from kitchen waste and agricultural activities include vegetable scappings, left over food, crop residues, animal excreta etc. need special attention for disposal. The use of these wastes after bioprocessing can supply nutrients to vegetative plants and also improve soil physical chemical and biological conditions and its fertility. The wastes need to be treated before its addition to soil. This is due to presence of toxic pollutants or pathogenic microorganisms.

Earthworms as a major soil fauna helps in modulating the physicochemical properties of the soil.

During the process of vermicomposting earthworms maintain aerobic conditions in the organic wastes by proper mixing and microbial decomposition of the substrate in the intestine of earthworm, converts the organic wastes into worm biomass and excretion of casts which are vermicompost (Benitez et al., 1999). The earthworms also enhance the soil microbial activity by improving the environment for the microbe.

Advit Foundation organizes training and implementation of vermicompost plants as entrepreneur models for the villagers using the agricultutal waste and also set up in urban institutions/ schools for resource utilization and awareness.