When Almitra Patel’s red car drove into our gated community, she and Myriam Shankar Kraftt did more than grace the opening of our compost mill: they quietly stirred our community into action. Their presence meant more than words on a page can carry.
Almitra is 90. Her 20-year fight in the Supreme Court gave India the solid waste management rules we follow today. Myriam is the founder of EcoGram and of the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), and has spent years helping communities across Bangalore manage their waste.
On Saturday, 31 October, at 4 pm, residents of Sobha Althea Azalea, north Bangalore, gathered at the entrance to open our compost mill. Eight bins, 30 tons, and a round board that says Dirt to Delight.
There was no stage, no speeches and no chief guest. Almitra had flatly refused any formal ceremony, so we kept it a get-together. She came anyway, cane in hand and curiosity intact, and walked the green carpet, giving the occasion a meaning no ribbon-cutting could. Her presence lifted the very purpose of this initiative. Beside her walked Myriam, whose company mattered every bit as much. Together, they made the day feel complete.
That said, we did cut the ‘ribbon’. Our own senior resident, Srimathi Rajmanur, cut a marigold garland in two. We dedicated the mill to her husband, the late Satyapal Rajmanur, who encouraged every sustainable idea this community tried, right from the start.
Later, we gathered under two large gulmohar trees for samosa, jalebi, chips and tea. No disposables were used, only recyclables, even at snack time. The feeling around was plain and simple: “If Almitra could make it here with such spirit, what excuse do the rest of us have?”
That is the finest outcome an inauguration could hope for.
Alban Dias and Arun Kumar, our facility managers, along with our housekeeping and gardening teams, were right there amidst the group. The housekeepers and gardeners do the composting work every single day, and these are the people who will keep this mill running.
We at SAA will carry Almitra and Myriam’s blessings with us as the mill finds its feet and we turn dirt to delight, one composter at a time. We would be honoured to have them visit again and see what it has grown into.
A detailed post on how this system works will follow.
