Around 260 schools in Thiruvananthapuram will soon be equipped with biogasplants enabling them to become self-sufficient in organic waste disposal. This is as part of the state-level scheme of the Department of Agriculture to set up biogas plants in 4,000 schools across Kerala which was inaugurated here on Wednesday by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

 The 260 schools in the capital district to benefit from the scheme have been divided into three categories. In the first, 20 lower primary schools will get small biogas plants (0.5 m3) which cost `13,000. Next,90 upper primary schools would get slightly bigger plants (o.75 m3) costing ` 17,500. The remaining 150 are high schools where biogas plants of 1 m3 volume and costing ` 23,500 would be set up.

 As the scheme gets underway, it would cover  selected primary, upper primary and high schools (government and aided). There are two major goals for setting up these biogas plants - the first is to make provisions for treating organic waste at the source itself. The second, by default, is to promote vegetable cultivation in schools. (The Agriculture Department already has an integrated vegetable cultivation promotion scheme in place, in which schools form an important component. Around 1,500 schools in Kerala were selected in the second phase, started in July 2013, for starting vegetable gardens. Also around 50 lakh vegetable seed kits were distributed to students across the state.)

 The idea is to produce a sustainable cycle in schools - the biogas produced would be used in the school kitchen while the slurry got as byproduct could be used as organic manure for the vegetable garden of the students. The vegetables in turn would go into the meals prepared in the school kitchen.

 The biogas plant scheme, which is being implemented with the help of the Education Department, will be put in place in schools selected by the respective district educational officers. The Agriculture Department is investing around ` 8 crore in this scheme, said a note issued by the department.