Chinnalapatti’s ‘Sezhipu’ compost a game changer

Chinnalapatti has crossed another milestone in its waste management journey. In June 2025, the compost generated from the biodegradable waste collected from households in this town panchayat in Dindigul district got a license from the Agriculture Department and is now being sold under the brand name ‘Sezhipu’. 

At the integrated compost yard, this recognition has brought a new vigour to the team, and Vinod, who is in-charge of the yard, says that after this recognition the demand for the compost has increased manifold. “A local farmer has approached us for more than 1,000 bags of this compost. Earlier, we would be selling a few hundred bags a week but now within a few days of packaging the compost, the stock is cleared and dispatched to the farmers,” he adds.

K. Manikandan, Sanitary Officer of the town panchayat, expounds on the fact that waste management audit has become vigorous and also meticulous. “Along with the Pollution Control Board norms that we have to follow, the National Green Tribunal monitors to ensure compliance with its orders and strict adherence to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The biodegradable waste that was being recycled here as compost, needed a momentum to be dispersed without being accumulated at our yard,” he noted.

As a first step, the compost was sent to a private laboratory in Coimbatore. Here the physical, chemical and biological properties were analysed to ensure that it had necessary nutrients for plant growth and it was free from pathogens and toxins. Armed with this result, the Agriculture Department was approached and the compost generated in Chinnalapatti yard was awarded a license and the permission to be sold under the brand name ‘Sezhipu’.

To create more awareness on this ‘premium’ compost, at the portico of the panchayat union office, 25 kg bags of compost have been kept. For bulk purchasers, it is being sold for Rs 4 per kg and for those who want a dose of fertilizer for their kitchen garden they can get a 1 kg packet for Rs 10. 

Another proactive measure that has been taken by the staff is the distribution of free sapling to all those who come there to get a birth certificate. “This also motivates them to buy a bag of compost,” says Mr. Manikandan.

From June 2025 till December 60,000 kg of biodegradable waste was generated in Chinnalapatti and from this 12,000 kg of compost was produced. “We are in talks with the Forest Department and we are hoping that they will become regular buyers of our compost. This will help us clear the compost that we are generating at our yard in a routine manner,” notes Mr. Manikandan.

For clearing the non-biodegradable waste, the panchayat union has signed an MoU with Chettinad Cements. Before Pongal, almost 10 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste was sent to the factory for co-processing.

This panchayat union with about 12,000 households is showcasing the best waste management practices – creating awareness through animators to reduce waste generation at source, recycling and composting of organic waste.