Waste Management & Organic Farming

I was in teaching profession in the Department of Environmental Science under Gauhati Univarsity for 10 years. I did PhD research work in Environmental Science (Solid Waste Management) from Gauhati University in 2013 and published research papers in national and international Journals.

I have developed and invented some simplified ways and technology for the successful solid waste management and sustainable development, like- “Waste Assimilator”; “Household Plastic Craft”, “Money Earning Litterbin” and “Seuj Bahan”.

Award Received:

1. Millennium Alliance Innovation Award (Round-4) under water and sanitation segment, India, 2017
2. 3R excellence Award from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India in 2018
3. Awarded as the finalist and selected among the top five Innovators of Water and Sanitation in the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention, New Delhi, India 2018
4. Received Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University National Fellowship, 2019 due to the outstanding contribution towards Solid Waste Management, Assam, India.

To solve the solid waste problem, a “Waste Assimilator” (Patent C.B.R. No. 13952) is invented to manage all the biodegradable solid waste within the residential campus to achieve ‘Environmental Sanitation’. This is also inspiring organic farming and up to 80% domestic solid waste problem can be solved and a significant reduction of the roadside dumps can be achieved. On the other hand, bigger size community “Waste Assimilator” can manage the community or market generated biodegradable solid waste for promoting large scale organic farming. Through the invention of “Waste Assimilator” ENVIRON is now promoting solid waste management and organic farming by the utilization of daily generated organic waste. The activities are now opening a path for large scale organic farming by practicing organic farming in every nook and corner for enhancing health and economic benefits and to achieve organically Green, Healthy and Sanitized World. 

Solid waste is nowadays considered as one of the major problems throughout the Globe. Improper disposal of solid waste is creating lot of problems like- dirty surroundings with faulty odour, facilitating microbial growth and diseases, clogging of drains and artificial water logging leading to the sources of different vector born diseases like Malaria, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue etc. Solid waste is the major sources of various diseases due to the indiscriminate dumping (CPCB, 2000). Present scenario of mixing of plastic waste along with the biodegradable solid waste  due to ‘use and throw’ practice is disturbing most of the solid waste management activities and developing huge ‘waste land’ and ‘toxic land’ day by day in India, Kashyap et al. (2009). In this process huge quantity of food waste and other organic waste are simply wasted day by day which can be utilized as resource for practicing organic farming.

Solid waste management and organic farming. In this process Waste Assimilators are introduced to produce ‘bio-pest repellent’ and ‘organic manure’ on daily basis in the form of ‘Microbial-wash’, ‘Vermi-wash’ and finally ‘Vermicompost’ by the utilization of all type of daily generated biodegradable organic solid waste which includes: food waste, kitchen waste, fruit & vegetable waste, unwanted herbs and shrubs, weeds, leaf litters, agricultural waste, meat and fish waste, aquatic plants waste, cattle dung etc. The ‘Waste Assimilator’ is an improved technology for composting of daily generated biodegradable solid waste through microbial aerobic digestion and assimilation by earthworm. It is designed for household and community use with a simple process of regular waste disposal above the composting bed.

Up to 3kg biodegradable solid waste per day can be disposed inside the domestic “Waste Assimilator” for 120 days to produce 120 litres ‘Plant nutrients cum Bio-pest repellent’ (daily basis) and finally 60kg Vermicompost per cycle of 160 days. On the other hand, up to 90kg biodegradable solid waste can be disposed inside the community “Waste Assimilator” for 120 days to produce 3600 litres ‘Plant nutrients cum Bio-pest repellent’ and 1800kg Vermicompost at the end of 160 days cycle to practice organic farming.

The project activities are now specially implemented among the rural agricultural people under the India’s ongoing sanitation campaign in rural areas to implement solid waste management and organic farming to achieve environmental sanitation.

It was observed that the widespread use of chemical pesticides has become a serious environmental problem now a day. With promotion from different agencies, increasing competitiveness, decreasing land areas & production level has forced farmers to use pesticides. In these practices the safety norms are grossly violated resulting threat to the ecosystem and human life. Development of resistant variety along with new pests forced the farmers to try overdose as well as new forms of pesticides. This result increased financial burden on the farmers leading to a form of vicious debt trap, even committing suicide in many parts of the country. In this backdrop a growing trend has emerged in various part of the world to seek alternative of chemical pesticides.

Only organic farming can provide us a viable option to feeding the planet with adequate nutrition.

Thus, through the “Waste Assimilator”, people are now managing their daily generated biodegradable organic solid waste and practicing organic farming due to their own benefits.  

As of 2019, approximately 70,000,000 hectares worldwide were farmed organically, representing approximately only 1.4 percent of total world farmland.

WHO has defined food security as “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.” Only organic farming can provide us a viable option to feeding the planet with adequate nutrition.

Therefore, there was an urgent need to innovate a technology to produce large scale organic manure cum bio-pest repellent to practice large scale organic farming to access sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

At the present scenario most of the community managed solid waste management projects are failed due to the mixing of plastic waste along with the biodegradable solid waste. In a community approach of solid waste management, nobody is taking care on source segregation. It was observed that in a decentralized waste management activities, participation of individual households are directly involved and they become responsible for successful management. It was also observed that the people do not like to involve in a complicated decentralized waste management activities and they prefer some benefits out of the waste management process.

Considering the above facts, Dr. Amarjyoti Kashyap, president of ENVIRON invented “Waste Assimilator” in 2014 for the decentralized waste management by maintaining simply use and throw practice. Initially it was trialed in few households both in Urban and Rural areas as Pilot basis in 2015. The nutrient components derived from the “Waste Assimilator” was tested in the laboratory and presence of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash were found as ‘Macro Plant Nutrients’ and different Hormones, Amino Acid, Vitamins, Enzymes along with the many useful Microbes as ‘Micro Plant Nutrients’. Thus “Waste Assimilator” is now generating the concept of solid waste management and organic farming. 

At the present scenario, huge volumes of different biodegradable solid wastes are simply wasted every day. On the other hand, mixing of different non-biodegradable solid waste along with the biodegradable waste blocks the biodegradation process and developing huge waste land day by day.      

On one way, we simply throwaway huge amount of biodegradable solid waste in every day and on the other hand, farmers are compel to practice inorganic farming due to lack of sufficient quantity of ‘Organic manure’ and ‘Bio-pest repellent’.

I have personally visited different remote villages of India where I found that some people are still practicing ‘Organic farming’ through traditional method of ‘Composting’ and by the using of ‘Cattle dung’. This inspired me to ‘Innovate’ a simple natural technology to upgrade the traditional ‘Composting method’ to produce ‘Organic manure’ and ‘Bio-pest repellent’ in the form of ‘Microbial Wash’ and ‘Vermi Wash’ and finally ‘Vermicompost’ through a simple device named as “Waste Assimilator”.

Utilization of biodegradable solid waste through the “Waste Assimilator” is now opening a path to practice organic farming in every household and community towards maintaining food chain for balanced ecosystem which is practically initiating an ‘Organically Green’, ‘Healthy’ and ‘Sanitized World’  with ‘Sustainable Food’. 

My educational background (bio-chemistry) and job experiences (Lecturer in the department of Environmental Science) inspired me to do some special need base developmental activities through environmental management and accordingly I founded ‘ENVIRON’ in 2004 with some of my students and friends. After 10 years of teaching experiences, I resigned my ‘College Teacher’ job in 2010 and till then wholeheartedly involved in different environmental management activities in the Northeastern States of India for sustainable development.        

Due to the invention of “Waste Assimilator” and related project activities ENVIRON has already received 4 national level awards and also selected for another national level award. With this respect our innovative activities are now nationally recognized for a better future.

On the other hand, I always follow the proverb “practice what you preach”. Presently I have developed my office cum residence as a demonstrating model for the following activities:

• Decentralized solid waste management through the “Waste Assimilator”.
• Collection of ‘Organic Manure’ and ‘Bio-pest repellent’ from the “Waste Assimilator” in the form of ‘Microbial Wash’, ‘Vermi Wash’ and finally ‘Vermicompost’.
• Domestic organic Tea gardening and production of ‘Green Tea’.   
• ‘Roof top organic kitchen gardening’ and
• ‘Roof top organic pond for Fish’

(Enclosed YouTube link)

Moreover project ‘Team’ of ENVIRON is well educated and highly experienced with the activities of ‘Solid Waste Management and Organic Farming’ and other related activities.

We always believe that ‘Knowledge is the Power’. Since ENVIRON is located in Assam, an isolated place of India, initially at national level nobody was recognized our activities. But, on July 20th, 2017, Dr. Amarjyoti Kashyap, President of ENVIRON and ‘Innovator of Waste Assimilator’ has received the prestigious Millennium Alliance National Innovation Award (Round-4) as the ‘only Innovation’ under the Water and Sanitation segment of India from Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of India for Science & Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Earth Sciences. Till then our ‘Innovation’ and innovative activities are now gradually accepted by all and people are now becoming understand the value of ‘Waste’ which are now scattered everywhere in India creating ‘dirty environment’ and ‘polluted environment’. We now believe that, through the ‘solid waste management and organic farming’ we will be able to achieve our goal of “Environmental Management for Sustainable Development for a Beautiful World”.

When we implemented our ‘Innovation’, initially people did not believe the benefits generated from the “Waste Assimilator”. Even my Wife (who is an Associate Professor) suspected me as ‘mad’ when I resigned my Job in 2010. At that time I was neglected by all except our ‘group members of ENVIRON’. I started my research on ‘Waste Management and Organic Farming’ in my residence from the year 2009. I developed my own ‘organic kitchen gardening’ and ‘domestic organic Tea gardening to produce green Tea’ out of the daily generated biodegradable waste of my residence and few of my ‘Neighbors’. Initially nobody was supporting me and even my ‘Wife’ looked at me ‘suspiciously’. When the benefits are started gradually everybody was started to believe me and my activities’.        

Presently I am a ‘State Expert’ of Government of Assam on Solid Waste Management. Under my leadership ENVIRON had given training on Solid Waste Management among the 40 top Municipalities of Assam and 5 top Municipalities of Meghalaya (two different states of India) in 2018 under the ‘Exposure Workshop on Solid Waste Management’ along with the National Institute of Urban Affairs as sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India. 

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Unlike the other ‘Composting’  and ‘Vermicomposting’ device, “Waste Assimilator” is an improved technology for composting of daily generated biodegradable organic solid waste through natural microbial aerobic digestion and assimilation by the Earthworm which is very easy to use by adopting simply ‘Use and Through Technology’. It has an ‘aeration layer’ for faster microbial growth and rapid digestion of biodegradable solid waste and Earthworm assimilation which does not require any ‘Rotation of Waste’. Unlike the other ‘Composting’ and ‘Vermicomposting’ device, “Waste Assimilator” does not require any additives like ‘Water Soaking Materials’ or ‘Microbes’. Daily generated biodegradable solid waste including food waste can directly be disposed inside the composting bed of the “Waste Assimilator”. Unlike the other ‘Composting’  and ‘Vermicomposting’ device,  “Waste Assimilator” produces ‘microbial-wash’ from 1 to 3 days of use, ‘vermi-wash’ from 25 days till the assimilation process continues and finally ‘vermicompost’ after 160 days. The ‘microbial-wash’ and ‘vermi-wash’ can be used both as ‘organic manure’ and ‘bio-pest repellent’ where as ‘vermicompost’ is one of the best organic manure. Thus, people can practice ‘Organic farming’ and ‘Organic Tea Gardening’ out of their daily generated biodegradable solid waste. Accordingly even unutilized and unfertile land can be converted to usable and fertile land by utilizing the nutrients derived from the “Waste Assimilator”.

The invention is now generating the concept of practicing organic farming in every rural household to initiate an Organic Green Revolution.

Even after 72 years of independence, India is a poor country due to the population explosion, injudicious exploitation of natural resources and the imbalanced economical growth. Although India is rich in natural resources, due to the huge population, per capita natural resource of India is much lower. To combat this situation, every stake holder of the society must be motivated towards renewal of every renewable natural resources and their scientific utilization. A revolutionary step in this regard has become a need of the hour.

Ever since the ill-effects of global warming and phenomenon of climate change has resulted due to the excessive deforestation and widespread pollution taking a toll on our environment, there is an urgent need for developing organic, sustainable means for preserving our natural resources. This is why growing organic vegetables and recycling of organic waste has now become a top priority, if we focus on reversing the negative impact on our depleting ecosystem.

Nowadays people have understood the benefit of organic vegetables, fruits and organic green tea. Through the project activities different replicable models are going to be established where people can utilize their biodegradable solid waste for practicing ‘Organic Farming’ which will definitely enhance individual food safety and economic growth.

Currently we are serving twenty five thousand households and around one hundred twenty five thousand people in India. Our planning is to cover another fifty thousand people in the coming one year and hundred million people in five years to introduce organic farming at large scale out of the daily generated organic waste. 

My dream is to utilize all the unwanted organic waste including food waste, kitchen waste, fruit & vegetable waste, unwanted herbs and shrubs, weeds, leaf litters, agricultural waste, meat and fish waste, aquatic plants waste, cattle dung etc. to produce both ‘Organic Manure’ and ‘Bio-pest repellent’ by the use of “Waste Assimilator” to promote ‘organic farming’ and ‘Organic Horticulture’ in every household and community to achieve sustainable development and maintaining ‘Food Chain’ for balanced Ecosystem and to initiate an ‘Organic World’.

Since our organization ENVIRON is a nongovernmental organization, we cannot do any business through our ‘Innovation’ and innovative activities as per the Indian law. On the other hand our beneficiaries are mostly belongs to the poor community who cannot bear the expenses of “Waste Assimilator”. Moreover for successful waste management and to break the rigidity of pre occupied mindset among the people, vigorous motivation and awareness programs are most essential which needs sufficient financial support.

For waste management, Government of India is conducting lots of activities through different government line departments and they have engaged different NGOs against some specific ongoing government programs related to sanitation. Unfortunately there is no any convergence among the activities of solid waste management along with the agricultural or horticultural activities under the ongoing sanitation program and thereby developing huge waste land day by day.

Only ENVIRON is promoting organic farming in India out of the daily generated biodegradable solid waste to achieve sustainable environmental sanitation.  

Therefore we need sufficient financial support in the form of grant to achieve our goal.

Financial crisis is the major barrier that we are facing. We are now trying to overcome the financial crisis by penetrating in few Government activities under the Rural Sanitation Program. Moreover, we are also collaborating with CSR activities under the ongoing sanitation campaign in India. 

Currently we are partnered with the Sawchh Bharat Mission (SBM) Rural under the Rural Sanitation Campaign Program, Government of Assam, India along with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission Society (ASRLMS) for conducting Solid Waste Management and promoting Organic Farming through the “Waste Assimilator” to achieve environmental sanitation.   

ENVIRON is now generated substantial amount of revenue among the beneficiary households and community from the daily generated waste by the following different ways:

• Households are now segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid waste at source to utilize as resource.
• Households are now utilized biodegradable solid waste through the use of “Waste Assimilator”.
• Households are now collected the liquid organic manure cum bio-pest repellent in the form of ‘Microbial Wash’ and ‘Vermi wash’ from the outlet of “Waste Assimilator” for personal use and selling purpose to practice organic farming.
• Households are now produced ‘Vermicompost’ as the end product of biodegradable solid waste for personal use and selling purpose to practice organic farming.
• Households are now producing organic vegetables, organic fruits and organic green Tea for personal use and selling purpose.
• Converted infertile and underutilized land to fertile land and thereby enlargement of Crop field in every household. 
• Sustainable agricultural practice for individual food safety and economic growth.
• Due to the source segregation, households are now able to sale non-biodegradable solid waste among the scrap dealers. On the other hand some of the housewives are now also practicing “Plastic Craft” for producing different household usable and decorative products like ‘chair back’, ‘cushion’, ‘mattress’, ‘table top’, ‘table mat’, ‘garland’, ‘decorative bag’, ‘water-bottle bag’, ‘flower vase’, ‘hat’ etc. out of the daily generated plastic waste as promoted by ENVIRON.
• People are now saving money for the cleanliness activities.
• Clean, Green and Healthy rural and urban areas are developing without paying extra. 

ENVIRON has designed entire project in a professional way to sustain the project activities so that people will manage solid waste due to their own benefits. 

We are not a revenue generating organization.

Presently, expenditure of the project activities is approximately 10 US dollars per person.

To cover another fifty thousand people @10 US dollars per person we need 500,000 US dollars

I am applying for The Elevate Prize to enhance individual food safety and basic economic growth and to achieve sustainable development.

The Elevate Prize will help us to overcome the financial barrier which we are now facing.  Through the Elevate Prize, my Innovation and our innovative activities will get international recognition and we will get a strong platform to introduce our activities on the globe for an Organically Green, Healthy, Economically Sound and Sanitized World.  

Our ultimate goal is to implement our innovative activities on the globe for a better future. Therefore our ultimate need is to get a suitable global platform to develop a strong partnership.

We would like to partner with some nongovernmental organization along with the relevant supporting agency with strong international network to develop a suitable global platform to achieve our goal.