Finally, the mule dung on the track of holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi is all set to yield bio-gas instead of remaining a menace as country’s first ever mule dung based bio-gas plant set up near the holy town of Katra has been put on trial and would be formally commissioned by the end of next month.
Official sources told News Agency that as per the analysis conducted by Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) around 40 tonnes of dung is being littered by the mules all along the track from Katra to Bhawan every day and the same continues to be menace despite the fact that Shrine Board is leaving no stone unturned for prompt removal of the same from the track.
In order to turn the menace into a source of generating energy for the Shrine Board, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah early last year discussed with the Governor N N Vohra, who is also the Chairman of Shrine Board, its Special Area Demonstration Project (SADP) Scheme, which is aimed at demonstrating renewable energy systems/ devices by their installation at places of national and international importance to supplement the energy requirement.
Subsequently, the Union Ministry sanctioned ` 50 lakh worth project which not only includes setting up of bio-gas plant but also solar water heaters and solar power plants of 5 Kilo Watt each, sources said, adding though solar water heaters and solar power plants have already come up, the mule-dung based bio-gas plant has recently been set up near Chetak Bhawan by a Pune-based firm—Mailhem.
"During the past two days, the plant has been put on trial and gas formation by using mule dung is being observed", sources said, adding "the trial of the plant would continue for at least 20 to 25 days following which the plant would be formally commissioned and put to regular use".
The plant has the capacity to generate bio-gas from 4 tonnes of mule every day and Shrine Board has already entered into a contract with the Katra-based agency, which will purchase bio-gas and put to use for its own use, sources said, adding "initially the mule dung would be lifted from the most problematic areas like first 3-4 kilometers of the track and both sides of Banganga".
As the plant would also generate approximately 12 to 15 tonnes of bio-manure per month as an end project, the Shrine Board has invited Expressions of Interest from the individuals, Government agencies, firms and organizations for the purchase of the bio-manure and the last date of submission of Expressions of Interest is December 30, 2011.
"As the plant has been set up on demonstration basis, Shrine Board would monitor the bio-gas generation for some months before taking any decision about setting up of more such plants or increasing the capacity of the existing one as per day generation of mule dung is much more than the present capacity of the plant", sources said.
To a question, they said that Shrine Board has also engaged Mailhem for Operation and Maintenance of the plant.
No comments:
Post a Comment