mysuru: A beacon of sustainability: Mysuru shows the way

In a world of a steadily increasing carbon footprint, use and re-use are the mantras for sustainability, and Mysuru has set an example in just that by building a compound wall in the city using trash. This could set an example for Bengaluru which is facing a gigantic trash problem and help save the environment too. The Central Government has made it mandatory to re-use up to 50 per cent of the debris of a building for reconstruction. The Mysuru City Corporation is spreading awareness about this move and also became an example by implementing it. The corporation has built a 100-feet compound wall of 10 feet height by using the debris around the zero-waste management unit in the city.

Earlier, the compound wall of the zero-waste management unit near the Bannimantap Highway Circle had collapsed. The corporation officials requested the Public Works Department (PWD) to submit the estimation for re-building it. Officials estimated the cost of re-building as Rs 4 lakh. Meanwhile, Environment Engineer Sridevi floated the idea of using the debris for building the compound wall and Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy approved the proposal.

Officials then took the help of Rajesh Kumar Jain who runs R-Leef industries which specialises in building with debris. It took one and half months to complete the compound wall and the cost was at Rs 2 lakh, for using 50 per cent of the debris for construction. The foundation was also built with debris. It was built of waste rocks, cement bricks and the total usage of debris was 10 loads, while five labourers finished the task.

The Mysuru City Corporation’s Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy said, “This will solve the problem of building debris.”

Mysuru Mayor Sunanda Palanetra added: “If the builders start working on re-using debris, it will definitely bring value to the building debris in the city.”

Director of R-Leef Industries M Rajeshkumar Jain said that they were trying to convince the Mysuru City Corporation on switching to sustainable constructions. “The re-usable debris must be planned at the demolition stage. The corporation identified land to fill the debris; from there, anyone can re-use it.

We are using locally available materials and building affordable houses. In most of the buildings, the debris is re-used for buildings. In Mysuru, building a compound wall is the first work on any government building in a sustainable way.”