The Cleanest Cities Of India| Ep-4| Mysuru's sophisticated decentralized wet waste to compost system

Executive Producer: Arnab Pratim Dutta
Managing Producer: Joel Michael
Camera & Editing: Joel Michael, Adithyan PC, Midhun Vijayan & Aishwarya Iyer
Voice Over: Aishwarya Iyer, Tushita Rawat
Motion Graphics: Sunny Gautam

To know more about solid waste management visit https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste
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Mysuru has a sophisticated organic waste management system that has converted the organic waste of the city into compost for farming. The city also encourages decentralised waste management systems and composting at the household level to make sure the thrown away kitchen wastes can be converted into a useful resource.

The city generates around 450 Tonnes of Municipal solid waste per day of which 40–60 per cent is organic waste. As the City started to grow both in population and tourists, waste segregation and processing started becoming a problem. This made the municipal officials of Mysuru seek a sustainable solution to its waste problem.
The Municipal officials of Mysuru initiated a system called the cradle-to-grave model. The idea of Mysore corporation was to decentralise the waste management system and to ensure public participation in turning organic waste into resources. Thus the unique idea of Zero waste management plants was born.

Mysuru City Corporation has one centralised compost unit to treat the excess waste from the ZWMs and the mixed waste collected from different parts of the city.


The centralised compost unit has a screening system to separate non-recyclable materials and produces compost by using the windrow composting method.

The city corporation is also encouraging people to start home composting and biogas units at the household level.

As the city grows further, Mysuru is now planning to set up two more plants and make their ZWMs more efficient in order to stay on top of their game.

The unique decentralised waste management approach by Mysuru has enhanced the processing efficiency of Organic waste. It has also shown the country how to convert waste to wealth.

But more than anything, Mysore’s success story is one where people and their government works in complete synergy to keep their city clean.