Institutions opt for biogas plants

May 25, 2012 12:16 pm | Updated July 11, 2016 08:41 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

The City Corporation and State government might not yet have found a solution for the garbage crisis in the city. But more and more institutions and organisations in the city are coming forward with schemes to set up independent source-level mini waste treatment units on their premises.

Among them is the Government Women's College at Vazhuthacaud. The college authorities have installed a biogas plant on the college campus to process food waste and other biodegradable garbage generated on the campus.

The plant, capable of processing up to 50 kg waste daily, has been set up at a cost of Rs.1 lakh. The project has been funded by the College Development Council.

Deputy Collector Sheeba George inaugurated the plant at a function held in the college the other day.

“We had plans to set up a biogas plant on the college campus even before the garbage crisis emerged in the city. But as we started to feel the pinch of the crisis, we decided to expedite the project. I think we are the first government college in the city to come up with such a source-level waste management initiative,” said Principal Valsala Kumari.

“We opted for a biogas plant because it serves the dual purpose of processing the waste and providing cooking gas for the college canteen. We expect to get cooking gas required for around five hours from this plant,” she said.

Slurry as manure

Apart from providing cooking gas, the slurry from the plant can be used as manure for the kitchen garden maintained by National Service Scheme volunteers of the college. “Students grow plantain, tapioca and other vegetables at the kitchen garden on the campus. We also have a medicinal garden. The slurry from the biogas plant will be used as manure for these plants,'' said PTA secretary S. Suma.

SENS Kerala, an accredited agency of Suchitwa Mission, has provided the technical support for setting up the plant on the campus.

On Thursday, Speaker G. Karhtikeyan inaugurated a biogas plant at the MLA Hostel. The four cubic metre plant will process around 50 kg biodegradable waste per day. The Wayanad-based Society for Education and Integral Development has installed the plant for the hostel at a cost of Rs.73,000.

A statement released here said that the plant would be capable of processing the entire organic waste produced at the hostel in a day and in turn generate cooking gas to burn for eight hours.

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