MC to produce power from biogas plant

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 29

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided to set up a biogas plant where electricity will be generated through cow dung. The decision was taken at the yesterday’s MC General House meeting.

As per the agenda placed before the MC General House, it was stated that the Chandigarh MC is maintaining gaushalas and cattle pounds in Chandigarh and there were good chances to generate electricity from cow dung.

“There are three gaushalas, one each at Sector 45, Maloya and Sector 25. These are being managed by NGOs Gauri Shankar Sewa Dal, Shirdi Sai Samaj and People for Animals, respectively. The cow dung and other produce is to be utilised by these NGOs as per the MoU. However, there is frequent request from these gaushalas for the disposal of cow dung as it accumulates there without any utility. Many a times, there are complaints of choking of drains/sewerage due to the overflowing of dung,” the agenda read.

“There are two cattle pounds in the Industrial Area, Phase I, wherein there are around 850 cattle. The disposal of cow dung is also a problem. Only some of the quantity is used by MC’s horticulture wing. There are around 2,500 cattle at gaushalas of the MC and cattle pounds. One cattle produces around 6 kg of cow dung. So, 2,500 cattle will produce around 15,000 kg dung every day i.e. 15 metric ton/day. The biogas will be converted into electricity,” the MC’s agenda proposed.

Ramesh Sharma Nikku, president, Gauri Shankar Sewa Dal, who runs a gaushala in Sector 4, said the decision would solve the long-pending demand of the NGOs running gaushalas. But he also suggested that along with setting up a biogas plant, the MC should also made bricks from cow dung, which can be used at the cremation ground in place of wood.

Fact file

At the MC House meeting, it was resolved that the MC would float an e-tender for setting up a plant. The land will be provided by the MC. The MC General House also approved Rs 4 crore for the budget.