SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT USING VERMICOMPOSTING AND KODMIC™ BIO-PEDESTAL COLUMN AND ITS UTILITY AS ORGANIC MANUREM.G. SUMI, M. VANI, DONA V. IDICULA AND K.D. MINIAbstract Solid waste management is one of the biggest environmental problems faced by us today. Much of the residual waste materials of anthropogenic and animal origin, if not properly disposed, end up polluting terrestrial and aquatic systems. A large proportion of solid waste can be categorised as organic and biodegradable. Such degradable organic waste can be converted to useful and/or environmental benign products using techniques such as microbial composting, vermicomposting, biogas plant, etc; there by. In the present study, we have used vermicomposting and KODMiC bio-pedestal column (KBPC; invented by Dr. Ignatious Konnikkara, Professor, Dept of Life Sciences, Calicut University, Kerala) two solid waste management methods to degrade house-hold waste. Solid waste was converted to organic manure using vermicomposting and KBPC method. Plant growth response, soil manured with vermicompost showed faster germination, flowering and fruiting time, while plants grown around KBPC unit were normal, healthier and had higher yield than the control plants. Increase in the microflora, i.e. the total number of bacterial and fungal colonies was observed in both methods, from the 0th – 45th day. There was a increase in the NPK concentration compared to the control. Both methods had a major role in converting biodegradable waste into organic manure and promoted many plant growth characteristics. As a solid waste management option for day to day biodegradable household wastes, KBPC method had several advantages over vermicomposting, as being a simple, cost effective, low maintenance, easy installation and did not need any expertise.
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