Strategic Action Plan - International Environmental Technology Centre

Strategic Action Plan Report
3) Anecic:
These are burrowing, soil dwelling earthworms. These earthworms stay in under–ground network of tunnels.
They collect feed from top and take deep. They eat soil along with organic matter. There fore mixing of soil
takes place.
Species:
• Pheretima Elongata
• Eisonia Foetida
• Eudrelus Eugeniae
• Perionyx Excavatus
Process of Vermi composting
Vermi composting can be done at any scale household composing food waste in a large slotted plastic bin
outside the kitchen window, to the city scale vermi - composting. Household level vermin composting can
easily be done on just 0.2 sq. m. for a family of five whereas large scale vermi-composting require 2.5 to 3.5
hectare of land for 100 TPD of garbage to be treated. Here unlike aerobic composting, un segregated waste
cannot be used for vermi-composting as toxic substances can kill the earthworms. Only segregated wastes
or domestic food waste can be composed through this process.
Incoming biodegradable waste preferably collected from the markets and domestic food waste collected
from house to house, is first heaped in the compost yard. Thereafter partial composting of waste is carried
out. To expedite the process of decomposition of waste private entrepreneurs prefers strong befouling and
degrading culture. The heap of waste is turned after about a week for aeration and allowed to cool. Moisture
level of 30 to 40% is maintained and the temperature in the range of 25 to 35 degree centigrade. Garbage
heap attains this temperature in about 2 weeks time when it is transferred to the vermi-composting pits or
shed for further processing.
Vermi pits are generally made having a maximum depth of about 0.6m, 1.5 to 2m width and any suitable
length. In the pit bottommost layer of 10 cm thickness of baggase, coconut coir or saw dust is given on which
second layer of 10cm thickness of decomposed cow dung is spread. The earth worms at the rate of 4000-
5000 nos. or 1 kg per sq.m. areas are inoculated. Above this partially decomposed organic matter is filled up
to top of pit. The pit is covered with gunny bag or rice husk. The water is sprinkled on it daily to maintain the
moisture.
The earthworms eat the organic waste and vermi castings start getting deposited on the surface of the heap.
The harvesting of vermin casting starts from the 40 th day from receipt of garbage and 28 th day of the
introduction of the earthworm. The harvesting continues for about 15 days by which time most of the
garbage gets composites. The vermin castings collected are sieved by using simple sieves.
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