CHENNAI: “Devoured time,
Thou kept me hanging in the lurch for long.”
Five or so years must have gone by from that cold, wintry hour of the evening when M Jagadeesh, now 39, glanced in the mirror and realised life was just passing by in the whiff of a wintertime fragrance and he ought to spring into action.
“Whispers of antediluvian winters
Sighing high to the tyranny of yore.”
Jagadeesh regressed into a poetic reverie as he stepped out to the streets of Velachery which was reeling under the influence of a hypnotic winter. The year was 2018 and Jagadeesh had just called it quits on his government job.
“At the corner of the streets of eastern promises,
Where 601-odd houses utter a twinge of emotional pang.”
Out on the streets, a stench of foodstuff poured out on Jagadeesh, opening him up to a can of worms. Little did he knew then that the rest of his life would probably be dedicated to the art of sustainable production through biogas plants.
“Cylinder consumption literally was cut down by half after I set up. A biogas plant at my house. All we had to do was to segregate waste and make use of it in a way that it would help in the cooking process. I don’t know if it has improved our standard of living, but we have definitely cut down on costs and are happy than before,” explains Jagadeesh.
How much would it cost to set up a biogas plant at a house?
Not much; not more than Rs 15,000.
How long would it take to recover the investment cost?
Not more than two years (if one cylinder only is used).
A flurry of questions had swarmed over Jagadeesh when he set out to set up biogas plants at houses in Chennai. It took him not more than five years to bypass the series of doubts and establish biogas plants in around 600 residential houses across Chennai.
“A plastic tank alone is needed to replicate a biogas plant model at a house. We provide residents wanting to set up such plants with a kit which includes a biogas stove and a gas storage bag. It is priced at Rs 10,000. A 500-litre capacity tank may take space a little more than a washing machine; that is all. Apart from saving money, it will provide one with the satisfaction of using the household waste reasonably and contributing to the cause of environment,” details Jagadeesh.
Sophia Jagadesh, his wife, echoing his views, said, “Ishan Milan, our son, replicated a biogas plant for a science project and bagged the first prize from the city mayor. We are proud of our children being eco-sensitive.”