The Department of Atomic Energy’s (DAE) Kalpakkam township has achieved zero-waste status.
The township — housing the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), thousands of housing quarters and research institutes — has a working model where biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is converted to manure and bricks with indigenous machines developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai.
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research ( IGCAR) officials showcased the workings of the Nisargruna biogas plant, the bricquetting machine, wastewater treatment using Hybrid Biofilm-Granular Sludge (HBGS) and magnetic thermal waste destruction, in making the township a showpiece under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Biogas plant a hit
The Nisargruna biogas plant, being put up by the Chennai Corporation at the Perambur slaughter house, has already made a mark in the township, converting tonnes of kitchen waste into chemical-free manure and biogas for cooking.
A.K. Bhaduri, director, IGCAR, said the Nisargruna biogas plant was different to conventional biogas plants that cannot accept a lot of biodegradable waste.
“All types of biodegradable waste including paper waste, animal bones, hospital waste and even water hyacinth can be processed through the one-tonne Nisargruna plant to generate chemical-free manure and gas. The kitchen at the CISF barracks uses biogas generated from the Nisargruna plant,” he said.
Surplus gas
The success of biogas generation has made the General Services Organisation (GSO) that manages the township think about installing tanks to store surplus gas. Prof. Bhaduri said the indigenous machines could be adopted by municipalities and panchayats to create manure as well as reduce the amount of useful waste that goes to dumpyards and adds to the pollution. The township has over 2 lakh trees that generate about 3 to 4 tonnes of dried leaves. The leaf waste is used by a biomass bricquetting machine that converts the leaves into wood bricks, which can be used for fuel in kitchens. The wood bricks are smoke-free and have more calories.
