ABSTRACT
The desire for food security has adversely affected the environment. Fertilizers introduced as a part of “Green Revolution” gave good results in improving productivity.
However continuous, excessive usage of Chemical fertilizers, resulted in degradation in land quality. Now Indian agriculture uses more than 250 Lakh M.Ts of fertilizers. Government gives subsidies on chemical fertilizers. The total subsidy extended during 2008 on fertilizers is more than Rs.1.0 lakh crores. Their usage resulted in development of soil related problems – alkalinity, salinity etc, resulting in reduction in yields.

On the other side, lakhs of tons of vegetables, fruits, good grains produced in villages reach urban areas for consumption. Daily more than 1,20,000 MTs of Garbage is produced in Indian Cities.

In Vizianagaram town alone 130 MTs of garbage is reaching land fill site daily. It is observed that 50 – 60% of our garbage is biodegradable. Garbage accumulates around cities creating severe pollution problems.

Through this project an attempt is made to understand land quality problems in villages near Vizianagaram and fertilizers usage trends in agriculture. It was found that farmers have discontinued the usage of farm yard manure( FYM) and depending completely on fertilizers.
It was noticed that the soils became very poor, sandy and low in organic matter and other plant nutrients. Severe Erosion also observed in dry lands. Productivity of crops is also less as per the observations (Observations are tabulated). Shortage of Organic manure is the main problem in villages which was revealed during the survey

Though some quantity of farm wastes is being recycled at farmer’s level, it is very small. Our lands really need much more organic matter.
It was also observed that daily hundreds of tonnes of food grains, vegetables & fruits (Bananas etc) produced in villages (fields) reaching Vizianagaram town and nothing is recycled back to villages. The left over vegetable wastes are reaching garbage point and land fill site. Some quantity is even burned. Nobody bothers about the fate of this precious material. This can be turned into vermicompost using earth worms.

Through this project it is suggested to setup a garbage segregation plant in Vizianagaram and segregate the bio degradable material from urban garbage and convert it to nutrient rich vermi compost. For this at least 50 vermicompost units are required. So both the problems of city garbage and land degradation can be solved by one attempt.

winners srivatsa,sugunakar,kranthi

Winners of distrist level NATIONAL CHILDREN'S SCIENCE CONGRESS