Union Cabinet approved Policy on Promotion of City Compost

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 20 January 2016 approved Policy on Promotion of City Compost.

The policy primarily seeks to promote the use of city compost by bringing better coordination among various government departments and agencies.

Features of Policy on Promotion of City Compost

• Under the policy, a provision has been made for market development assistance of 1500 rupees per tonne of city compost for scaling up production and consumption of the product. Market development assistance would lower MRP of city compost for farmers.
• Eco-Mark standard will be specified for city compost that would ensure that environment friendly quality product reaches the farmers.
• Fertilizer companies and marketing entities will also co-market city compost with chemical fertilizers through their dealers' network.
• The companies will also adopt villages for promoting the use of compost. Government Departments and Public Sector undertakings will also use city compost for their horticulture and related uses.
• Concerned Ministry/Department will carry out IEC campaigns to educate farmers on the benefits of city compost and will take steps to increase setting up of compost plants across all States.
• The Agricultural Extension Machineries including KVKs of ICAR will also make special efforts in this regard.
• Agriculture Universities and KVKs will also take up field demonstration activities using City compost for which Department of Agriculture (DoA), Cooperation and Farmers Welfare will assign targets to them.
• A joint mechanism will be set up by Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Urban Development and DoA to monitor and facilitate availability of adequate quantity of city compost at terms mutually agreeable between compost manufacturers and fertilizer marketing companies.

Benefits of compost

• Compost from city garbage would not only provide carbon and primary/secondary nutrients to soil but also help in keeping the city clean.
• Composting can reduce the volume of waste to landfill/dumpsite by converting the waste into useful by-products.
• This also prevents production of harmful greenhouse gases (especially methane) and toxic material that pollutes groundwater apart from polluting the environment.
• City waste composting would also generate employment in urban areas.

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