‘Power of innovation’: PM Modi praises Bowenpally vegetable market

HYDERABAD: The Bowenpally Vegetable Market has caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention for its innovative waste management system. Modi praised the one-of-its-kind bioelectricity, biofuel and biomanure generation project in his 73rd episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday. 

Stating that the market’s waste is now being turned into wealth, he said, “We have observed that in sabzi mandis, vegetables rot due to multiple reasons, spreading unhygienic conditions. However, traders at Hyderabad’s Bowenpally Sabzi Mandi decided to produce electricity out of waste vegetables. This is the power of innovation.” Over 10 tonnes of vegetable waste is generated every day at the market. Earlier, this used to get dumped in landfills, but now it is used to generate 500 units of electricity and 30 kg of biofuel. 

The electricity powers more than 100 streetlights, 170 stalls, an administrative building and the market’s water supply network. The biofuel, on the other hand, is pumped into the market’s canteen kitchen. TNIE had reported about the project in January this year. 

“We are happy that our achievement has been noticed by the Prime Minister. Soon, we will try to make the project bigger,” Bowenpally Agriculture Market Committee chairman TN Srinivas said.  The vegetable market requires around 800-900 units of electricity per day, of which 500 are generated from the waste management plant.

“It is overwhelming to be recognised by the Prime Minister. This acknowledgment is not only going to create large scale awareness about the use of a sustainable system to generate biofuel, but also encourage more and more people to take up similar projects. This will benefit our environment,” Shruti Ahuja, director of Ahuja Engineering which operates the plant for the Bowenpally market, said. “Now, we are more confident and will try to scale up the Bowenpally Vegetable Market project. We hope to use this technology at different places in Telangana,” she said.