“Until now, the disposal of waste from the fish market was collected by the garbage vehicle and then taken to the landfill site. Considering NMMC is working to get every stakeholder to take responsibility for the waste getting generated thereby reducing the load on the landfill site, there was a lot of thought given on the most organic way to dispose of fish market waste,” said Dr B Rajale, deputy municipal commissioner, NMMC.

The concept of setting up an independent waste disposal plant which will not only address the waste from the market but also yield environmentally benefitting returns came across to be a worthy venture, he added. The feed prepared from the waste will eventually be sourced to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) by the NGO to be sold in the market.

Reportedly, around 50 kilograms of fish feed from the plant have already been procured and sent to ICAR for further approvals.

In March, Diwale village was termed to be the first smart village of Navi Mumbai for having modern facilities that in turn promote multiple ways of earning a livelihood. One of the most discussed attributes of this small village, comprising a predominantly fishing community, was the fully equipped infrastructure for the fish market. The systematic approach being taken towards disposal of the waste from the fish market is another step to boost the image.