In order to manage solid waste scientifically and convert them into environment-friendly products, the Golden Rock (GOC) Railway Workshop has started producing vermicompost, briquettes and biogas for the first time in Southern Railway.

The workshop has commenced solid waste management by disposing of the waste – such as dry leaves, non-recyclable paper and food waste, generated from the premises spread nearly 200 acres, in an efficient manner.

According to a senior official from the workshop, “It is a first-of-its-kind in Indian Railways’ workshops to manufacture organic fertiliser comprising dry leaves and waste generated from canteen and papers with a capacity of 250kg per month from the raw waste of two tonnes,” he said.

They use the organic manure for gardens maintained on the premises of GOC. At the compost yard, they are also producing briquettes from dry leaves and packing materials to use for their boilers, he said.

“So far it was a common practice to collect all the dry leaves and other waste to burn in an open area. However, as open burning of waste is prohibited by the pollution control board due to environmental pollution, we have adopted this technique. As per railway norms, the wooden packing materials – which were simply kept unutilised so far on our premises, are not saleable. So, it would be the best way to convert them into energy. By adopting this process we can reduce the coal purchasing from outside,” officials said.

The authorities have deputed three people to execute the process of producing briquette and bio-manure.

At an event organised in GOC, chief workshop manager P N Jha inaugurated a project for sending zero-value waste accumulated at GOC shops to Ultratech Cements, Ariyalur for co-processing with the approval of Tamil Nadu pollution control board.

Moreover, in order to impart training to the employees working across the Southern Railway, a symposium was also conducted at the GOC.