Reduction of waste reaching landfills can substantially be cut
Nearly half of all waste is organic in nature and can be diverted to biogas plants, said the Indian Biogas Association (IBA). IBA is an industry body of operators, manufacturers and planners of biogas plants, which works alongside the German Biogas Association that is currently helping to strengthen the biogas sector in India.
Dr AR Shukla, President, IBA said: “The kind of waste which lands in waste disposing sites, if utilised well, could help India meet a considerable fraction of greenhouse gas reduction commitments at global level.”
Presently, three-fourth of India’s organic waste lands up in our landfills. This waste generates hazardous gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide which adversely affect those residing in close proximity to these landfills. These individuals are known to suffer from health issues such as asthma, recurring flu, cholera, malaria, cough, skin irritation and cholera, to name a few.
There are around 200-odd biogas plants in the country with the capacity to process approximately 20,000 metric tonnes of organic waste per day. 50% of this waste that is organic in nature is compostable and can be used by our industries. It would be advisable if the government could provide necessary aid in the form of subsidies to these biogas plants to encourage more industries to enter the game.
The biogas generated by these plants could help fulfill India’s needs for an alternate source of energy, which in turn can provide the fuel for running machineries and vehicles. and also help metro cities fight their waste management issues.
