Kolkata: In a move to promote sustainable energy, the West Bengal government has decided to install biogas plants in residential schools and hostels for tribal students.
The project will be implemented at Eklavya Model Residential Schools and associated hostels, which cater to students from Scheduled Tribe communities. The biogas units will convert organic waste generated on the campuses into cooking gas for hostel kitchens, reducing reliance on conventional fuels. “Residential hostels generate a steady amount of biodegradable waste every day. Instead of dumping it, the plan is to put it to use,” an official said.
Each campus will be assessed before installation to determine the appropriate size of the biogas plant, based on the number of students and the volume of waste produced. Officials said the units are expected to meet a significant portion of the hostels’ daily cooking needs.
The project cost is estimated at just over Rs 15 lakh, including taxes, covering both installation and operation of the plants for several years. Maintenance support has also been included to ensure the units remain functional, addressing past issues where similar installations had failed due to poor upkeep.
Once agencies are finalised through a competitive selection process, the installations are expected to be completed within approximately four months. Officials added that the performance of the units will be closely monitored and the model could be expanded to other government-run residential schools and hostels if successful.
