Urban sanitation: entrepreneurships among the urban poor for waste recycling in Patancheru, AP [Andhra Pradesh], India Authors: Schmitt, V. A.;Amerasinghe,Priyanie [IWMI]; Forster, D.; Vadloori, Bharadwajan [IWMI]; Niggli, U. Poster presented at the 3rd International Conference on Research for Development (ICRD 2012) Research for Global Transformation, Bern, Switzerland, 20 - 22 August 2012.

1. Urban sanitation: Entrepreneurships among the urban
poor for waste recycling in Patancheru, AP, India
Vincent A. Schmitt1, Priyanie Amerasinghe2, Dionys Forster3, Bharadwaja Vadloori2, Urs Niggli3
Urban sanitation is a growing problem in rapidly growing cities. This study was aimed at
establishing small-scale businesses, that prepare compost from the organic fraction of city
waste.
Photo 1: Municipal waste is usually Photo 2: Organic Photo 3: Compost Photo 4: A compost pile left for maturing in
collected along the road site waste is collected pile is turned for Patancheru
for composting aeration
Introduction Preliminary Results
Urban sanitation is a growing problem in cities that are • The urban sanitation and health, and community
developing fast. This is reflected in the Greater Hyderabad development cells of GHMC played a key role in the
Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, where an annual identification of suitable beneficiaries and site selection.
urbanization rate of 4.7 % has been reported. The waste
generation is estimated at 2,3 mt per day. Biodegradables
• The promoter group comprised six women and were
able to register as a welfare-society. They can now avail
(52 %) are mixed with non-degradables, and decomposing
themselves of government subsidies.
piles of waste is a common site. This has resulted in odour
problems and reduced environmental sanitation, especially, • As part of the partnership agreement the municipality
where the waste has not been collected in time. provided the space, water and transport for the
composting plant, which was successfully linked into the
Objective daily routine so as to avoid an extra cost to the
administration.
The project aimed at developing entrepreneurships, among
the urban poor, and facilitated small-scale business ideas • The organic fraction of waste, 14'286 kg per day in
that recycle the organic fraction of the municipal waste, in Patancheru, was easily obtained from vegetable markets
an attempt to reduce environmental pollution and enhance and city waste and recycled to approximately 4 tons of
livelihood incomes as well as revitalise peri-urban soils. compost containing 43 kg N, 13 kg P, and 38 kg K.
However, C-rich material (sugar can trash, wood chops)
Material and Methods was deficient and had to be collected from elsewhere to
prepare compost product that was of high quality.
Between August 2011 and January 2012, a public-private
partnership was developed between the municipality of • Training materials and awareness campaigns had to be
Patancheru and a women's self-help group. Small-scale an integral part of the entrepreneurship development.
composting units were developed after a participatory Sustainability requires constant contact and motivation
diagnosis of institutions and stakeholders, selection of within the first year.
promoters and a survey of marketing strategies. An
agronomic trial illustrated the benefits of using organic
compost in revitalising the soils, using selected crops.
Conclusion
The recycling of organic waste is feasible, if it can be
Photo 5:
organised in a participatory manner. Yet, the final product
The promoter group
has to be popularised, as the beneficial effects are not well
with their compost
product. The method of known. Coupled with demonstration trials and political
compost production is campaigns, such entrepreneurships can thrive, and be an
in the back ground. effective proposition for reducing pollution within cities.
This poster presents part of a research project on “Fertile Soils for Peri-Urban Agriculture in Hyderabad” funded by Lonza Ltd., Switzerland
1
University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany, 2 International Water Management Institute, Hyderabad, India,
3
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland