Farmer Papamma and the seeds of unlimited possibilities

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Forty years of organic farming means not just gaining expertise in this field. It means one has turned it into a profession of hope. Notwithstanding the rough-and-tumble of every waking hour. The endless stream of work. The never-ending learning curves. The back-breaking manual labour under the scorching sun and the searing cold. The constant pressure (if I can say that) of tending to your farm to prevent it from withering. You put yourself through all the rough and tumble, weather all the weather patterns gracefully. Because you believe in what you are doing.

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EXCELERATOR: 12-strain, 10 billion cells/gm accelerator composts all types of waste in double quick time, enriches soil

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Ten billion cells per gram, loaded with saprophytic bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes which can break down complex organic compounds, teeming with thermophiles that can spike up the temperature in your composter to 60-75 deg.C, and topped off with essential enzymes. This is a 12-strain microbial culture—geared to quicken the composting turnaround cycle and enrich the soil. It works a treat on tough-to-break-down meat, oils, spices, dairy leftovers, cellulose and lignin contents in your kitchen and garden rejects.

This is but just a sneak peek into the EXCELERATOR’s composition.

Here’s more….

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‘Endlessly Green’ the book is a story, an SWM playbook. Not a rehash of my blog

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‘If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in, the chances are very high that you will interest other people as well.’ – Rachel Carson.

Several months rolled by in sweet anticipation of seeing my first book in its physical form. It’s finally here!

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Waste management in the times of Coronavirus warrants a RETHINK

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By Pinky Chandran

The movie Contagion’s grim visuals of uncollected garbage lining deserted streets was one of the most profound images that stayed with me even after the movie ended. It continued to haunt me as I consumed media reports about increasing COVID19 positive cases. Continue reading →

Is composting as dirty, impractical, time-consuming & tedious a process as BBMP thinks?

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In what can be termed a highly disappointing turn of events, the views of SWM Joint Commissioner Sarfaraz Khan on composting have hit the green activists hard. Going by the buzz in various WhatsApp groups created to share tips and experiences on composting amongst green activists as well as enthusiasts from various walks of life across the city, the joint commissioner’s take on the same that appeared in today’s Bangalore Mirror has left them bewildered. Continue reading →

‘Mom, when am I going to get my periods next? I can’t wait!’

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Stonesoup Founder Malini Parmar, a committed sustainable menstruation activist, shares her experience of turning her two daughters into ‘cupverts’ in this interesting article. Read on…

“Can my daughter use a cup?” How many times have I heard this question? The answer is highly nuanced and there is no straight “yes” or “no”. Before searching for an answer, I recommend that parents watch this TEDx talk first, “The Virginity Fraud”. Continue reading →

SwachaGraha Compost Connect kicked off, biomass sent back to the soil

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Solid Waste Management Round Table’s SwachaGraha Compost Connect (SGCC) campaign was officially kicked off today with two farmers picking up a tractor-load of kitchen waste compost from Sobha Althea-Azalea, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. There are still many more heaps of compost to be loaded up.

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Does your community produce excess compost? Join SwachaGraha Compost Connect campaign

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Farmers located on the outskirts of the city meet members of Solid Waste Management Round Table to discuss Swachagraha Compost Connect campaign in Bengaluru on December 4.

Sometimes, things take longer than you think they will. And then, they happen faster than you thought they could.

SwachaGraha Compost Connect (SGCC) is one such dream project conceived by Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), Bengaluru, that will work towards connecting urban compost producers with rural farming community with the sole intention of sending the precious organic waste coming out of our kitchens and gardens back to the soil in the form of compost. Continue reading →

SWM in apartments: Mumbai’s Green Communities Foundation keeps it simple and efficient

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Endlessly Green is pleased to share these two case studies of SWM projects being executed by Mumbai-based Green Communities Foundation which is a waste management consultancy for societies and corporates. This blogpost lays bare how certain simple processes can help you execute segregation and composting in communities no matter which part of the country you live in. Continue reading →

Mixed waste ‘compost’ & heavy metal contamination: Let’s stop living in a fool’s paradise

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We all think household waste is relatively harmless and that rejects like plastic can be extracted out of the compost pile once the process is through. When I pored over some research papers, this is what emerged. To put it succinctly, what we throw enters the food chain, comes back and sits on our dining tables. Continue reading →

Yet another 24-hour piece of junk. Yet another distraught customer.

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When I visited an apartment complex in Electronic City yesterday, this is how the story went…

The community wanted to have its own composting system and carved out some space for it in a corner. What ended up in that corner was this 24-hour fully automatic composter. To the residents who knew little about composting, this sounded like a fantastic idea. Why not when someone promises that the manure comes out in less than 24 hours and that this box can take in up to 150 kgs a day? Continue reading →

Soil Recipe-8: Easy-to-prepare, low-cost Thrishakti tonic keeps your garden robust & pest-free

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This cost-effective and easy-to-prepare liquid fertiliser is one of those old-time golden farming solutions meant to offer multiple benefits to the soil and the plants and safeguard farmers’ interests. Noted soil activist SOIL Vasu has been propagating Thrishakti tonic among farmers and documenting its positive effect on various types of crops. Thanks to him, we are able to learn this method in detail and also its effects as demonstrated in the pictures shared by him. Continue reading →

The so-called 24-hr ‘compost’ harms the soil and all its produce, warns noted ecologist Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail

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Soil biologist and ecologist Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail

If one were to sum up the entire body of work of this renowned soil biologist and ecologist in one word, it would be earthworms. Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail’s lifework is centred on the techniques for recycling biodegradable waste into fertilizer using local varieties of earthworms and soil bioremediation. Dr Ismail, MD of Ecoscience Research Foundation, Chennai, has conducted extensive awareness sessions especially among schoolchildren to promote vermicomposting and environmental awareness. For him, the two are inseparable.

Here’s his statement—reproduced verbatim—on 24-hour or automatic composters being manufactured and sold all over India by various firms claiming that their machines produce ‘compost’ in just 24 hours or sometimes, 48-72 hours. Continue reading →

24-hr composters: There’s no microbe in this universe that can colonise in 24 hrs, says scientist Dr Manoj

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Dr C N Manoj, Pelican Biotech.

Quite often, I find myself involved in long-winding email/social media conversations or phone calls with green volunteers of large communities discussing automatic or 24-hour composters to deal with huge quantities of kitchen rejects and garden clippings generated in their communities. It so happens that the individuals who care to discuss this issue threadbare are invariably those souls who believe in Nature’s perfection and are ready to live by its rules, patiently.

The following nuggets of wisdom pouring light on this topic are from scientist Dr C N Manoj, Founder-Director of Pelican Biotech. I have collated all the information he has shared with me through emails and phone calls here. This should help you bust any myth about these menacing machines of various brands that have carved out a sinuous trail through urban concrete jungles all over India and arm yourself with scientific facts to put forth your argument in favour of sustainable composting methods. Continue reading →

Community composting method-15: Try this DIY using GKVK culture, cut costs

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The sole aim behind conducting this experiment in my apartment was to check whether the compost culture sold by Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK) located in North Bangalore can work just as good as any other culture/accelerator sold by vendors/innovators in the city.

Well, it does. At a much lower cost! Continue reading →

Composting does not stink, Mr Minister! Our misconceptions do.

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Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town planning K J George (Pic source: IE)

I wish we had a chance to ring in 2018 on a positive note, but our honorable Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town planning K J George’s statement leaves little to cheer for.

At a Smart City Mission meet held in the city yesterday, the minister announced that the state government was all set to opt for waste-to-energy (WtE) technology because “composting stinks”. Continue reading →

Green cleaning hacks-1: Why vinegar is an integral part of my eco-friendly home cleaning kit

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If you ask me what led me to all my green pursuits, I can put my finger on this one colourless liquid without thinking twice: white vinegar (food grade).

Back in 2003 when we were living in the US, I first started using white vinegar as a rinsing agent in the dishwasher to remove those ugly white spots from the dishes. I didn’t know much about it then or else, I would have spent a lot less on those hazardous chemicals to clean glass and toilets and sent a lot less destructive agents down the drain to pollute the soil and water bodies eventually. Continue reading →

Time to grow greens. Time to get back to basics.

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Balconies don’t offer much leeway in terms of space and sunlight. I have tried growing many kinds of veggies including cauliflower, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, carrot, radish, etc. But the economics of space advises me that sticking to green leafy ones is the best way to go. Since I get most of the seasonal fruits and veggies from organic stores, thinking of keeping the limited balcony space exclusively for salad greens and some aromatic herbs, the ones that you want to just cut, rinse, shred and make a salad out of, all in a jiffy. Continue reading →

Soil Recipe-6: Gunapaselam, a plant tonic made with fish extracts has all micro & macro nutrients

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Organic farming experts say Gunapaselam contains all the nutrients your plants need for their healthy growth and immunity. If you are a vegan or a vegetarian, this may not be the solution for you. But those who do not want to throw away fish rejects can extract maximum benefits by preparing this plant tonic. Continue reading →

Merci et au revoir, Claire!

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‘Earth Citizen’ Claire Rao

Guitar strings, candle waste, broken bangles…

These are the things, among many other, that environmental activist Claire Rao has currently listed out as her top priorities that need urgent sorting-out and has been doing everything possible to make sure they reach proper recycling destinations. This has to happen before she herself lands in France, her home country, after over a decade of life lived here in Bangalore within what she calls, “our ecological limits”. Continue reading →

Soil Recipe-5: Fungal diseases? This coconut-buttermilk solution can pack a powerful punch!

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The secret of this Soil Recipe lies in the simplicity of its ingredients. When prepared to perfection, this recipe containing coconut, buttermilk, turmeric, asafoetida and fruit rejects can help your plants develop resistance against fungal diseases. Plants grow healthy and begin to flower profusely. Try this recipe and share it among your friends. It does take a little effort to save our own living environment from being poisoned by pesticides. But it will all be worth it. Continue reading →

Zero-waste temple: This is where, my friends, God smiles!

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There’s this beautiful peepal tree with its roots resting in infinity and boughs arching over the Sri Shakthi Kalyana Mahaganapathi Temple located at Kalyana Nagar, Banaswadi.

True, almost every temple or village in India has at least one such tree standing tall in all its nakedness with a lump of sacred threads wound around it. No one can say for sure what each thread would mean individually: Pain, anguish, victory, desire, devotion, gratitude, joy or frustration. But weave them together, a firm pattern of meaning emerges on its own: unconditional surrender. Continue reading →

This 24-hour composter was on fire, literally!

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A simple human error resulted in this machine catching fire and damaging the roof of DSR Woodwinds apartment’s compost room six months ago. It seems beyond repair now and has been dumped in the parking lot. (Pics: SH)

This is an incident that unfolded at DSR Woodwinds apartment, Sarjapur Road. An automatic 24-hour machine given by the builder to compost kitchen waste caught fire when a staff member mistakenly switched on the machine after sundown. Within hours, the machine was spewing out flames and the roof got damaged. The smoke spread. The staff somehow managed to sneak into the compost room and put out the fire. Since then the machine, which comes loaded with promises of turning precious green waste into valuable compost, has been gathering dust in the community’s parking lot. (For more technical details on these machines, please read this post.) Continue reading →