Setting up a bin

 The Compost could be done in any bin ranging from plastic buckets to
dealwood boxes.

 The Bottom of these bins should have some holes to drain off excess water which can be conducted into some nearby drains.

First there shall be layer of pebbles/broken bricks to a level about 5 to
6 inches. Over this there should be a layer of sand (preferably river sand)
again to a level of about 5 to 6 inches. Over this will be another layer
of fresh loamy soil which would house the earth worms.

 The entire structure is then sprayed with water to make it wet but not soaked with water. Into this soil layer about 40 to 50 earth worms picked up from
local gardens or vegetations are introduced in different locations. Then
small lumps of wet cow dung are placed again at different places in the bin
over which hay or dry leaves are spread and moistened with water.

 The hay and cow dung mixture will constitute attractive food for the worms which breed feeding on this. The next generation of worms coming in about 15
to 20 days will look for food outside the soil layer. That is the time when the bio-degradable rejects from the kitchen, dining table and house-garden can be deposited into the bin every day.

Care must be taken to keep the bin moist but not over-logged with water. The top may be covered with a wire-mesh to keep the rodents out. The structure because of the worms in it will not emit any foul smell and therefore will not
attract flies or mosquitoes. As the garbage gets added each day the bottom
layers of garbage in a space of about 30 days will turn into vermi-compost
which can be harvested without disturbing the vermi-bed.

If well-maintained, this could be a perennial source of vermicompost out
of household rejections.

A new twin bin combining both vermi and aerobic composting is being tried out by Exnora internatioal, at its headquarters (see address below).

Bucket composters have been supplied to many families in Chennai by this expert.

This method is also being used by some women entrepreneurs to put in place large facilities, using organic waste collected from the community. 

There are supplies of not only compost, but also the individual requirements, including earthworms in Chennai. ContactExnora

Aerobic composting is being promoted in individual localities in this city, as an easier alternative to vermicomposting.

Despite the enormous garbage problem that it faces, the civic body for Chennai, the Chennai Corporation, does not have any serious effort to encourage composting. It handles waste by open landfilling at Perungudi close to the precious wetland of Pallikarnai in South Chennai and in Kodungaiyur in North Chennai.