Hyderabad: Malkajigiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) has converted floral waste collected during religious festivals and idol immersions into incense sticks (agarbatti) and dhoop sticks as part of its efforts to promote sustainable waste management. The civic body, in collaboration with Pakka Organics, collected and processed flowers offered during festivals, including Ganesh Chaturthi and Bathukamma, instead of allowing the waste to mix with general municipal garbage.According to MMC additional commissioner (sanitation) Raghu Prasad, around 7,000 metric tonnes of floral waste was collected under the programme. Of this, more than 6,400 metric tonnes was collected during Ganesh idol immersion, while around 400 metric tonnes was generated during Bathukamma festival.The corporation established dedicated collection kiosks at major immersion points, including Safilguda lake, to ensure the separate collection of flowers offered during religious ceremonies and those accompanying Ganesh idols. The collected flowers were dried, powdered and mixed with herbs, natural resins and wood powders to manufacture incense sticks and dhoop sticks.MMC commissioner Vinay Krishna Reddy said the initiative aimed to turn floral waste into useful products through scientific collection, segregation and recycling. The programme has helped reduce the burden on municipal waste management systems while contributing to environmental protection, he said.
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