The Niir Board of Consultants and Engineers (2004: 2–10) is
based in Delhi. The institute publishes the advantages of vermicomposting,
which involves using earthworms to create compost,
in terms of the nutritional and structural benefit this has for the soil.
Earthworms are responsible for breaking down organic waste and,
in doing this, aerating the soil with their movements. The nutrientrich soil created by the earthworms is referred to as the cast, which
also contains the majority of the earthworm population. Vermiculture
is also examined as the process whereby earthworms are
bred under controlled conditions with the aim of increasing the
earthworm population in the shortest period of time.