Friday, March 29, 2024
Environmental Management

Household Level Composting (Manure Pit)

At each household, two manure pits should be dug. The size of the pit will depend upon the quantity of refuse to be disposed of per day. Each day the garbage, cattle dung, straw, plant and agriculture wastes are dumped into the manure pit. When one pit is closed the other one is used. In 5 to 6 months time, the refuse is converted into manure, which can be used in the fields.

This is the most effective and simplest method of disposal of waste for the rural households. Cow dung can also be disposed of easily by this method. Mixing of cow dung slurry with the garbage will help greatly in converting the refuse into compost, which provides good manure.

Read Also : Composting (Manure Pit) Description

Household level composting pits may be constructed by adopting either lined or unlined pits as described below:

Underground Unlined Manure Pit or Garbage Pit

Applicability;

Rural areas with low rainfall

Houses with an open space of about 7 square m

Houses with no cattle or with single cattle.

Action;

House owner can make this pit with little technical know-how . Dig two pits of 1m x 1m x 1m dimension

Give a single layer of broken bricks at the bottom

Make a ridge with the help of mud at the periphery of the pit & compact it by light ramming.

Use and Maintenance of the Pit

Go on adding garbage from the house over the layer of bricks (only biodegradable type)

When the garbage attains a height of about 150 mm, add dung slurry, mix it with garbage & level it

Spread a very thin layer of soil over it (once a week) to avoid odour and fly nuisance

Continue to add garbage everyday

Follow the above procedure & repeat the layers till the pit is full. It is recommended to fill the pit up to about 300 mm above ground level

After 3-4 days the garbage above ground settles down

Plaster it with soil

Leave the pit as it is for 3-6 months for maturation

After 3-6 months take out the compost & use it in the fields

Till the manure in the pit matures, use another pit of the same dimensions, dug at a minimum distance of 1 m from the first pit.

Household Level Composting (Manure Pit)

Limitations

Not suitable for heavy rainfall areas and rocky terrain.

Underground Brick Lined Manure Pit or Garbage Pit

Applicability;

Rural areas with low rainfall

Houses with an open space of about 7 square m

Houses with no cattle or with a single cattle

Loose soil structure.

Action

House owner can make this pit with little technical know-how;

Dig two pits of 1.1 m diameter and 1m depth

Construct a circular pit having an inner diameter of 1 m, in honey comb 100 mm thick brick masonry. The height of the circular pit should be 100 mm above ground

Plaster the top layer of the pit

The bottom of the pit should not be cemented.

Read Also : Waste Composting (Manure Pit) and Advantages of Composting

Use and Maintenance of the Pit

Go on adding garbage from the house over the layer of bricks (only biodegradable type)

When the garbage attains a height of about 150 mm, add dung slurry, mix it with garbage & level it

Spread a very thin layer of soil over it (once a week) to avoid odour & fly nuisance

Continue to add garbage everyday

Follow the above procedure & repeat the layers till the pit is full. It is recommended to fill the pit up to about 300 mm above ground level

After 3-4 days, the garbage above ground settles down

Plaster it with soil

Leave the pit as it is for 3-6 months for maturation

After 3-6 months take out the compost & use it in the fields

Till the manure in the pit matures, use another pit of the same dimensions, dug at a minimum distance of 1 m from the first pit.

Limitations

Not suitable for heavy rainfall areas and rocky terrain.

Over Ground Heap

Applicability

Rural areas with high rainfall and rocky terrain

Houses with an open space of about 7 square m

Houses with no cattle or with single cattle.

Action

House owner can make this heap with little technical know-how.

Description

Make a raised platform of 1 x 1m dimension at a suitable site by ramming the soil or by paving with bricks.

House owner can make this with little technical knowhow.

Description

Make two compost tanks of 1.1 m diameter and 1m height

Construct a circular /square tank having an inner dimension of 1 m, in honey comb 225 mm thick brick masonry. The height of the tank should be 0.8 m above ground

Plaster the top layer of the tank.

Use and Maintenance of the Tank

Go on adding garbage from the house over the platform in the tank (only biodegradable type)

When the garbage attains a height of about 150 mm, add dung slurry, mix it with garbage

Spread a very thin layer of soil over it (once a week) to avoid odour and fly nuisance

Continue to add garbage everyday

Follow the above procedure and repeat the layers till the heap attains the height of 1m.

After 3-4 days the garbage above ground settles down

Plaster it with soil

Leave the heap as it is for 3-6 months for maturation

After 3-6 months take out the compost and use it in the fields

Till the manure in the tank matures, make another tank of the same dimensions at a minimum distance of 1 m from the first tank.

WealthInWastes

Benadine Nonye is an agricultural consultant and a writer with over 12 years of professional experience in the agriculture industry. - National Diploma in Agricultural Technology - Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Science - Master's Degree in Science Education... Visit My Websites On: 1. Agric4Profits.com - Your Comprehensive Practical Agricultural Knowledge and Farmer’s Guide Website! 2. WealthinWastes.com - For Effective Environmental Management through Proper Waste Management and Recycling Practices! Join Me On: Twitter: @benadinenonye - Instagram: benadinenonye - LinkedIn: benadinenonye - YouTube: Agric4Profits TV and WealthInWastes TV - Pinterest: BenadineNonye4u - Facebook: BenadineNonye

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