Urban News

The Hindu 01.09.2009

‘Use waste at home to generate energy’

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: As part of its clean environs programme, Alagana Kovai, the Residents’ Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) is into popularising the multiple uses of waste generated at home.

After highlighting how waste paper could be sold to the ITC Limited instead of just dumping along roads, RAAC has begun efforts to tell people how energy could be generated from the waste produced in their kitchen or garden.

RAAC teamed up with Vivekananda Kendra and organised here on Friday a presentation by the Kendra on how biogas generation plants could be installed at home and how of the power needs of a family could be met by the waste it generated every day.

Under the auspices of its Natural Resources Development Project (NARDEP), the Kendra illustrated how vegetable waste, meat waste, food waste and flour could produce gas. Secretary of the Kendra V. Vasudeoji emphasised the need to tap renewable energy for daily needs. Pointing out that half of the solar energy was left untapped, he said that the Kendra found while exploring various options that kitchen and garden waste were an ideal source of energy.

Mr. Vasudeoji, however, said that everything boiled down to the mindset. “Only a green mind will result in green architecture,” he said and listed very basic sources such as the neem cake that could be used to generate energy.

Explaining the composition of biogas as 65 per cent methane and 35 per cent carbon dioxide, Project Director of NARDEP G. Ramakrishnan said one cubic metre of biogas helped in producing 25 kg of biogas a day and this was enough to meet the cooking needs of a family of three to four persons.

And, 100 cubic metres of biogas could produce 5 KW of energy to meet a 20-hour power requirement of a house. The Government was also providing subsidy to individuals and establishments opting for this source. Mr. Ramakrishnan said the biogas plants were of fixed and portable types. The second one was ideal for people who had to often shift residence.

The plants did not produce any odour or cause pollution, he said, making a presentation on Shakti Surabhi, a biomethanisation plant developed by the Kendra. Hotels, lodges and hostels could install this plant, as it would eliminate waste and also meet the energy requirements of these establishments, he said.

RAAC vice-president G. Soudararajan and honorary secretary R.R. Balasundaram were present at the meeting.

The Hindu 31.08.2009

Solid waste management scheme progressing, says Corporation

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The Rs.96-crore Integrated Solid Waste Management Scheme of the Coimbatore Corporation is well on course, according to Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra.

“The scientific closure of accumulated waste at the compost yard at Vellalore was on and the work on creating a landfill site for the disposal of non-biodegradable waste is over,” the Commissioner said. The works to establish a facility to convert biodegradable waste into manure had begun. Two out of the four transfer stations had been completed.

Garbage collected from houses or shops would first be offloaded at the transfer stations. From there, it would be taken to the Vellalore yard.

The works were on from two ends – primary collection and disposal – because both should be in place if waste disposal had to be complete.

The purpose of segregating waste at source would be defeated if the composting and landfill facilities were not established. At the same time, disposal would become difficult if waste was not segregated at the point of generation (houses and commercial establishments).

Therefore, the Corporation had already created nine model wards in the city to try out source segregation. Bins to biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste separately had been distributed and conservancy workers assigned to these wards had been trained to propagate the message of segregation.

“The first phase of awareness creation the model wards is over. We plan to intensify it with volunteers from schools and colleges,” the Commissioner said. “The model wards are a testing ground for the scheme. We intend to identify the problems in the implementation of all components of the scheme and rectify these. In three to four months from now, we will launch an intensive drive in the other 63 wards in the city,” he said.

The Corporation had tied up with the Karl Kubel Institute of Development Education at Mangarai near the city to provide orientation to conservancy workers.