Biomethanation plant at RS Puram to be ready by April

COIMBATORE: The biomethanation plant at the uzhavar santhai in RS Puram is expected to be ready by April and it would be used to convert organic waste generated at the farmers’ market and two other wards in the area into biogas.
“Foundation work has been completed and installation work will commence in a few days,” said a corporation official, who is involved in the Rs 42-lakh project. Funded by Swiss development corporation, the plant, which will have a capacity to handle 1.5 tonnes waste, is being set up under phase one of Sunya project.

Biogas produced at the plant would be converted into electricity, which would be used to light up the farmers’ market. Excess electricity would be used to power street lamps in the locality. The plant would on an average generate 100 units electricity per day, the official said.

Explaining that source segregation activities were started at wards 22 and 24 about three years ago, the official said they have achieved 70%-80% source segregation at these wards by educating the public about its benefits.

“For the initial two-three months, officials and sanitary workers visited households to create awareness and then a local stakeholders community was formed to spread benefits of source segregation. Once the public started to respond, we started monitoring the project,” the official said.

More than 90% community bins has been removed from the two wards and saplings have been planted there to prevent disposal of waste, the official said. “Community bins are now available only at major junctions. We are planning to remove them too at the earliest.”

Pointing out that daily collection of organic waste comes around two-three tonnes, which is more than the plant’s capacity of 1.5 tonnes, the official said the excess waste would be treated at micro composting centres. “The plant will pave way for green energy, while reducing the amount of waste stored in the city and disposed of in dump yard.”