Agartala: What happens to the kilos of flowers offered at temples across India? Often, they end up in landfills. But farmers in Tripura’s Udaipur decided that there was a better use for something offered to the divinity. They started collecting flowers at the Tripura Sundari temple and decided to convert them into organic fertiliser through vermicomposting, a natural process in which earthworms convert degradable waste into natural fertilisers.
Although vermicompost is very popular in Tripura, Tripura temples had hitherto stayed away from it.
Farmers now collect flowers daily under the supervision of the Matabari Farmers Producers Organisation.
Speaking exclusively to EastMojo, Jayanta Datta, a member of Matabari FPO said, “For a long time, we have been thinking of doing something with the flowers offered to Maa Tripura Sundari. Once the flowers get a day old they used to be thrown to dustbins. Flowers offered to Maa shouldn’t be thrown into the dustbin. Initially, we thought of incense sticks as an option, but we offer the Hibiscus flower to Maa, not known for its aromatic qualities and hence, the idea was dropped.”
Finally, Datta and his team figured out that vermicompost could be a good alternative to process the waste into organic fertiliser. “For the last two months, not a single flower has been thrown to the dustbin from the temple. Every day, our workers collect around 100 kgs of flowers from the temple. The process takes around 90 to 120 days. The first consignment of the production will be ready in the month of January. We have been working hard to make this product successful in the local market. We firmly believe that this fertiliser will work well,” Datta told EastMojo.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
According to sources in Tripura Sundari temple, during the peak season, devotees offer over a hundred kilos of flowers in the temple, while it comes down to 20 to 25 Kg per day during the off-season. When asked about the cost, he said, “We haven’t finalised the cost yet. If we put together the price of earthworms for the processing and the labour charge, we believe we can supply natural fertiliser to farmers at an affordable price. It will be less expensive than what is sold in the markets.”
Also Read | Tripura: Drugs worth over Rs 15 cr seized near Bangladesh; 38 held