The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) is exploring the feasibility of using black soldier fly (BSF) technology developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) to process urban organic waste.

Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja visited the semi-automated BSF organic waste biovalorisation unit at TNAU’s Department of Agricultural Entomology on Friday (September 25). During discussions with TNAU officials, he suggested that the prototype be developed to process at least three tonnes of organic waste a day at each Corporation unit.

Mr. Teja also requested TNAU to conduct a trial using mixtures of urban organic waste to assess the feasibility of adopting the technology for municipal waste management.

TNAU Vice-Chancellor M. Raveendran explained that BSF larvae could consume organic waste, and the protein-rich larvae could be used as feed for pets, birds and fish. The process also produces larval-derived oil and nutrient-rich organic manure.

Director of the Centre for Plant Protection Studies M. Shanthi explained the pre-processing machinery and the components of the semi-automated unit, which was established with financial support from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. She also explained the IoT-based systems installed at the unit and the proposed automation measures to reduce labour requirements.

Professor and Head of the Department of Agricultural Entomology M. Murugan, Assistant Commissioner, West Zone, S. Narmadha, and project scientists K. Senguttuvan and M. Alagar participated in the visit.