New Delhi: In order to produce urea locally, to be used as fertiliser later by farmers, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday suggested that human urine banks be set up in every district across the country.
“Human urine contains a lot of nitrogen. But this is wasted. Since converting waste into wealth is my passion, I feel there is no harm in trying the idea,” Gadkari told media.
He said he was trying to make it a reality by working with some Swedish scientists.
“We already have organic substitutes for phosphorous and potassium. If we could add nitrogen, it could make an ideal plant booster. We are working with Swedish scientists but I admit the idea is at a nascent stage,” Gadkari added.
The initial tests will be carried out at a laboratory in Dhapewada village near Nagpur.
“The farmers will be expected to collect the urine in 10-litre plastic cans and bring it to collection centres. The cans will have to be provided by the government and the farmer would get Rs1 per litre. The trial can be done in rural areas because here the urine is not diluted with water in the toilet. The urine will then be distilled to make it pure so that it can act as a soluble organic fertiliser,” he said.
The Minister stated that urine banks should be set up in every district so that farmers do not have to depend on imported urea.
In 2015, Gadkari had given some rather unusual advice to gardeners. He had said that he watered the plants in his Delhi bungalow with his own urine.
“I collected urine in a 50-litre can. I called the gardener and instructed him to water some plants with it. There was such a big difference — it grew one and a half times bigger than the other plants,” he had said drawing criticism on social media.
