Hyderabad: The once-celebrated biogas plant at the Dr BR Ambedkar Vegetable Market Yard in Bowenpally, known for converting vegetable waste into clean energy, is now operating at a minimal level due to the expiration of the contractor’s agreement and staff shortages, reports The Siasat Daily.
Established in 2021, the plant used to convert up to 10 tonnes of daily vegetable waste into 500 units of electricity and 30 kilograms of biofuel. This helped power borewells, office and stall lighting, and the market canteen, cutting monthly energy expenses from ₹3 lakh to nearly half. The project, a collaboration between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), was hailed as a model for sustainable waste management.
However, the contract with Ahuja Engineering Services Pvt Ltd (AES), the agency managing the plant, expired last month. With no new contract in place, the plant has been left under-resourced. When Siasat.com visited on May 21, only two workers were present. According to the plant’s supervisor, Balaraju, many workers had returned home to Bihar for a wedding, and the plant was unable to operate at full capacity.
Balaraju also revealed that delays in payment of bills for over a year discouraged AES from renewing the contract. He expressed hope that a new agency might take over operations soon, allowing the plant to resume full-scale production.
Meanwhile, market yard in-charge Satyanarayana stated that a decision to invite new tenders is still pending with the marketing department’s head office. Until a new contract is awarded, most of the vegetable waste is being diverted to a general dump yard for energy generation there.
Vegetable waste generation has also declined due to seasonal fluctuations, contributing to reduced output from the plant.
The biogas facility had once drawn national attention, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising it in his “Mann Ki Baat” radio address in April 2023 as a shining example of innovation in waste management.
Now, the project that once stood as a beacon of sustainability awaits timely administrative action to restore its operations and purpose.
