Kochi Corporation will try composting biodegradable waste using black soldier flies

This week, the Kochi Corporation will conduct an experiment with composting biodegradable garbage using black army flies. The flies' larvae feed on trash, and each fly can consume up to 200 grammes of waste every day. They are not harmful to people or other animals. Their favoured foods are meat and decaying garbage. A huge number of nations employ the larvae in composts, and there are low-capacity experimental operations in various regions of India. However, it has yet to be tested on a big scale in the nation. According to Corporation secretary Babu Abdul Khadeer, the Brahmapuram project will be the largest of its kind in India.

Mr. Khadeer stated that the flies pose no health risks to people because they do not fly large distances and can be found practically anywhere. The municipality need interim waste management techniques until the projected compressed biogas facility is ready. He said that because the Corporation could not afford to spend extensively in waste treatment plants, it was experimenting with the new way. The proposal cannot proceed without approval from the health standing committee and the Mayor. He estimated that the municipal government would have to pay $2.50 per kilogramme for garbage disposal at the location. The officials plan to put the approach to the test by next week.

The larvae have a lifetime of around 22 days, and the composting process takes about 14 days. Compost is sieved, graded, and compressed. Larvae are composted with raw degradable garbage. According to companies advertising the method, the developed larvae may be fed to pets and chickens.