The article highlights an innovative approach to waste management in Warangal, particularly focusing on the floral waste generated during the popular Bathukamma festival. Instead of letting these beautiful flowers pollute water bodies or pile up in landfills, the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) has launched a project to transform them into valuable bio-waste.
Warangal, known as Telangana’s cultural heart, experiences large-scale Bathukamma celebrations, leading to significant floral waste. To tackle this, the GWMC has set up four collection points across Hanamkonda and Warangal, supplementing their existing Balasamudram biowaste unit.
Dr. B. Raja Reddy, Chief Municipal Health Officer (CMHO) for GWMC, estimates that approximately five tonnes of flower waste are generated daily during the nine-day festival. He explained that sanitation workers are actively collecting these discarded flowers from residential areas and community centers, transporting them to the designated sites for conversion into biowaste. While the traditional process takes about 21 days, the advanced Balasamudram plant can achieve this in just seven days. The resulting bio-waste will then be utilized by two biogas plants. This pilot initiative, according to Mr. Raja Reddy, is being undertaken under the guidance of Commissioner Chahat Bajpai.
The problem of floral waste carelessly dumped into water bodies has long been a pressing environmental concern. This new approach offers a much-needed sustainable solution.
Santosh Manduva, founder president of the Hanamkonda-based NGO Sulakshya Seva Samithi (SSS), emphasized the broader potential of this initiative. He suggested that such eco-conscious practices could extend beyond the festival, providing a year-round method for managing flowers offered at temples. By repurposing these blossoms, they could be used to create natural dyes, handcrafted incense sticks, and even eco-friendly packaging materials, thereby promoting environmental sustainability and honoring their cultural significance throughout the year.