Mangaluru: After Puttur Municipality, Bantwal Town Municipal Council (TMC) in Dakshina Kannada district has launched a biogas production unit aimed at converting wet waste into clean energy. The facility, currently in its trial phase, has started producing small quantities of biogas and is set to scale up operations in the next phase, reported The Times of India.
The TMC began the pilot project as a response to ongoing waste management challenges in the town. The biogas unit, located at Kanchinadka Padavu, has a capacity of 100 kg and was set up using funds from the 15th Finance Commission for the year 2020-21.
TMC senior health inspector Rathnaprasad P said that the unit is already generating around 14 kg of biogas daily, which is stored using portable balloons. He added that the gas, which produces strong flames, will be used to cook food for workers in the Swachhata unit. The initiative focuses on using only food waste at this stage.
Bantwal generates about four tonnes of wet waste daily. A large portion of this is currently being sent to Oddoor Farms, run by local MLA U Rajesh Naik, where it is processed into bio-CNG. The biogas unit is now using a part of the town’s food waste to generate energy locally, as part of the trial effort.
Officials say the unit holds promise as a long-term solution to the town’s waste disposal problems. With additional funding, the TMC hopes to expand the plant’s capacity in future phases.
In addition to biogas, the TMC is also producing compost from wet waste and plans to grow this effort into a commercial operation, further strengthening the town’s sustainable waste management practices.
