Dehradun, Heaps of dried leaves, piled along the road-side, at times being rampantly by burnt with other waste such as plastic and paper close to tree trunks, almost killing the tree, is a practice banned under law but still, a common site in Dehradun, come summer or fall.
In 2012, when Ashish Garg was posted as General Manager at Tel Bhawan, Dehradun he was pained at the sight of leaves being recklessly burnt and decided to do something about it. Adding, “Burning of tree leaves and plastic waste together, not only increases PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentration in the air but gases such as Sulphur, Nitrogen Oxides and Carbon Monoxide gas get accumulated far beyond accepted levels in the air, resulting in rising cases of lung diseases and respiratory problems.”
Ashish’s helplessness gave birth to the idea of how, “bio-degradable leaves would gradually decompose wherever they fell, in turn contributing to the quality and moisture retention capacity of the soil,” and he joined hands with Waste Warriors, an NGO working in the field.
Over the past few months, with the help of Waste Warriors, ten compost heaps have been installed within the Tel Bhawan campus which transforms tree leaves into organic compost. Leaves from over hundred litchi trees planted in an area of about 30 acres is now being turned into 250 kg of compost every season, which fulfils the in-house horticultural requirement.
“Technically, Litchi leaves are the hardest to decompose as they take 3-4 months to completely degenerate. A natural compound, basically a catalyst, was added initially, along with periodic water sprinkling to keep it moist,” Ashish informs us.
While the compost produced in Tel Bhawan is for in-house use, we hope many more Institutions in the valley will follow suit. This technique will not only ensure that burning leaf waste is a thing of the past but will also generate rich organic manure, which retains moisture in the long, ruthless summer months.
