MCC installs biogas plants to make crematoriums eco-friendly

Mysuru: Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is set to make all its crematoriums environment-friendly. In the initial phase, it is building two compressed biogas plants at Harishchandra Ghat near Chamundi Hills and Manchegowdana Koppalu graveyard. Each plant, costing Rs 98 lakh, will convert waste into compressed biogas for clean energy.

Work on the compressed biogas plant at Harishchandra Ghat is complete, and production of gas from solid and biodegradable waste has started. As the conversion process takes 45 days, it will soon start using the biogas. It converts two tonnes of solid and biodegradable waste into biogas daily, which can be used in furnaces, reducing fossil fuel use and emissions. It is also a more cost-effective fuel source than commercial LPG cylinders for cremation, officials said.

MCC executive engineer Mrtunjaya said currently, MCC uses 40 to 50 LPG cylinders at Harishchandra Ghat. "With the establishment of the biogas plant, the MCC can now produce 40 to 50 cubic metres of biogas by converting one tonne of organic waste. It can produce 80 to 100 cubic metres of biogas from two tonnes of waste daily. One hundred cubic metres of biogas is equal to 55 kg of LPG cylinders. From this plant, MCC can save its expenditures on LPG cylinders it is spending at Harishchandra Ghat crematorium," he said.

"The biogas, which will be set up by MCC at Manchegowda Koppal, will be used to light the streetlights, mainly at the graveyard. It can be used to light 14 to 18 lamps daily at this graveyard. It can save Rs 26,000 every month it spends on power bills at this graveyard," he said.

Speaking to TOI, MCC commissioner Syed Asif Tanveer said as the work on the compressed biogas plant at Harishchandra Ghat is now complete, it will soon be used. "As there was resistance, the MCC delayed the installation of the biogas plants. However, he cleared the doubts of people, stating that this biogas produces fewer pollutants than wood or fossil fuels, contributing to cleaner air and a reduction in environmental impact," he said.

Former mayor M Shivakumar demanded that the MCC must reduce the price hiked for cremations in the crematorium. "Instead, MCC must adopt other methods to mop up its financial resources," he said.