INDIA HAS constructed over 100 million household toilets under its Swachh Bharat Mission in recent years. While this has improved the country’s overall sanitation levels, it has thrown open the challenge of handling vast amounts of faecal sludge, the mixture of human excreta and water. One of the solutions lies in separating the solid and liquid components and treating them separately. The liquid can be decontaminated and used for irrigation and toilet flushing. The solid can be composted and pasteurised to make biosolids and used as organic fertiliser.
To understand the potential of faecal sludge as a fertiliser, we recently conducted a field trial in Alair, Telangana. Our experiment, conducted on okra cultivation, shows that the use of biosolids sourced from faecal sludge as organic fertiliser positively influences germination rates and enhances the growth and yield of plants. Biosolid generally contains high concentrations of macro and micronutrients essential for plant growth.
THE SETUP
The trial was conducted by growing okra on two soil beds, one with only red soil that is commonly used for farming in southern India (control bed) and the other with premixed biosolids and red soil in a 1:1 ratio (experimental bed).
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin January 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Down To Earth dergisinin January 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
