Puliyur town panchayat has made a sound beginning in solid waste management by generating revenue from the waste collected from the public. Though several other panchayats have already forayed into the process of making manure from waste, Puliyur town panchayat has gone a step ahead by incorporating four other methods to generate revenue. Besides compost yard, it has set up a bio-gas plant, shredding plant, duck rearing pond, and vermicompost yard. Similarly, an herbal nursery has also been established. Except shredding plant, bio-degradable waste is used as the raw material for all other solid waste management processes. Apart from conservancy workers, the panchayat has engaged self-help group members for collecting and segregating wastes, and for operating maintenance units. On an average, the town panchayat generates three tonnes of solid waste, which is segregated into degradable and non-degradable waste. While degradable waste is taken to the compost yard for making natural manure, the non-degradable waste such as plastic bags and polythene covers are cut into minute pieces by the shredding machine to mix them for road laying. Similarly, food and meat wastes are used for producing bio-gas and feeding ducks. “The Puliyur project has proved that solid waste can be effectively reused. It has been translated into commercially viable initiative,” says S.Jayandhi, Collector, who constantly monitored the project since inception about nine months ago. She added that several town panchayats, municipalities, and other local bodies had been visiting Puliyur to get first-hand information.