Corpn pitches for biogas in households, hotels

For cities grappling with waste menace, biogas could be the way forward. Besides taking care of the waste generated at home, it also offers a cheaper alternative to LPG as cooking gas, according to P Shanmugam, senior scientist at Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai and an expert on biogas plants.

According to him, biogas is capable of making households and commercial establishments self-sufficient in fuel needs. A bio digester is all that the residents have to install for the purpose. "A small bio digester for a family of five will cost not more than Rs 20,000," he said addressing a meeting called by the city corporation for commercial establishments including hotels and educational institutions. The civic body has been pushing residents to reduce their daily waste generation. . "A portable bio digester would ensure about 5 hours of cooking gas per day if provided with a minimum of 2 kgs of organic waste produced in the house which otherwise would go to the garbage.," he said.

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The waste can be anything from vegetable waste, rotten vegetable and fruits, spoiled food and milk to non-vegetarian waste and even grinder wash water. While claiming that the system will ensure a lifetime supply of free cooking gas, Shanmugam said that it would also reduce individual carbon footprint and prevent pile-up of garbage on the streets while making way for a hygienic environment.

Bio digester can be set up on a large scale based on the volume of organic waste generated including food waste. Apart from households, the bio digester plant can be established in hostels and hotels, farms, marriage halls, schools and colleges too. City corporation commissioner and special officer N Ravichandran said that waste management projects over the past few months had reduced waste generation in the city.

"As of now the city corporation has about four bio-methanation plant and four micro compost units. While the Ariyamangalam dumping yard in the city used to produce 450 tonnes of average waste a day, it has come down to 300-350 tonnes now as waste is getting diverted to these bio-methanation plants and micro compost units for recycling," said the commissioner.

"We will be able to prevent another 100 tonnes of waste from reaching the dumping yard once 14 more mirco-compost units start functioning. If waste stops coming out of commercial establishments and households, we can ensure zero dumping soon, he said.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/trichy/corpn-pitches-for-biogas-in-households-hotels/articleshow/57800317.cms