Patna: An innovative waste-management model in Saharsa is turning organic waste into compost, compost into plant nurseries and nurseries into revenue, offering rural communities a practical way to improve sanitation, protect the environment and generate income.The initiative has been implemented across 21 gram panchayats, where waste processing units (WPUs) use NADEP and compost pits to process organic waste and produce vermicompost. The manure is then used within the WPU premises to develop plant nurseries, transforming sites once neglected and filled with waste into clean, productive spaces.The model has created a cycle of ‘waste to compost, compost to nursery and nursery to revenue’. Apart from improving sanitation, it is contributing to environmental conservation and creating an additional source of income for the panchayats.Officials and panchayat representatives said plants grown with organic vermicompost have shown better quality and faster growth than those raised using chemical fertilisers. The manure has also helped improve soil health and strengthen its water-holding capacity.Timely processing of biodegradable waste has reduced garbage accumulation in villages, improving cleanliness and potentially lowering the risk of disease. The initiative is also being seen as a step towards greener and more sustainable villages.The nurseries developed at panchayat-level WPUs generate around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 annually through plant sales. The revenue is used for the repair and maintenance of assets operated under the Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan (LSBA), including WPUs, pedal rickshaws, e-rickshaws and other sanitation-related equipment.Rural development and information and public relations minister Shravan Kumar described the initiative as an important beginning in waste management and environmental conservation in Saharsa.He said, “The cycle of converting waste into manure, manure into nurseries and nurseries into revenue could provide a new direction for sanitation and self-reliance across the state.”Shravan said producing vermicompost from organic waste, using it to develop nurseries and utilising the annual revenue for maintaining LSBA assets reflected effective and forward-looking management by the panchayats. He attributed its success to the cooperation of panchayat heads and local representatives.
