Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Feb 2: Minister for fisheries, sports and youth affairs and district in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj inaugurated a two-ton bio-methanation unit here at Beedinagudde on Wednesday, February 1.

The newly inaugurated plant was working under trial basis from the past two months. This is the first machine set up in Udupi CMC out of 56 city municipality councils in the State.

The bio-methanation unit has been constructed at a cost of Rs 35.57 lacs, under the guidance of contractor Babu. It produces two-ton capacity of biogas from 500-600 kg of wastage collected everyday from 35 wards. The total capacity of feeding is 700kg.

The waste will go through bifurcation process in different phases. Vegetable and food wastages will be put into crushing machine with air compressor. The compost will move on to a pre-digester block and store it for three days. It will then go through an inlet chamber to the main digester (outlet chamber) to a sludge drying bed.

"Bio-gas can be used for cooking. Waste can be disposed off without any odour and the slurry from the bio-gas unit can be used as an organic manure for plants," informed environmental engineer Raghavendra.

The manufactured gas is being already used for 6HP and 2HP generators. The CMC will take a decision on the excess power which will be either spent on shelter (residential building) for destitute under NULM project or will be sent to MESCOM.

Minister Madhwaraj who spoke on the occasion said, "A bio-methanation unit can be built in private residential apartments. People of Udupi should make efficient use of the unit. It is very much natural and eco-friendly. Generators can be run using this power and they can save electricity as well".

Manjunathayya, CMC commissioner; Meenakshi Madhav Bannanje, president; Sandhya Thilakraj, vice-president of CMC and others were present.