VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is setting a new benchmark in implementing eco-friendly sanitation technology under its ambit.
The civic body has set up a community kitchen at Arundalpet in the city which is fuelled by the methane generated from sewage waste out of the toilet complex and discarded vegetables from the surrounding market.
The kitchen has a reactor with five single hob stoves that can be used throughout the day. Recently, the initiative gained recognition when it was mentioned in the Niti Aayog’s report on “Waste-wise Cities: Best practices in municipal solid waste management’’.
Explaining the initiative to TNIE, VMC additional commissioner-general (projects) U Sarada Devi said, “The kitchen is free to use for 2,000 residents living in the 64 divisions of the city. Slum dwellers are often forced to cook using firewood stoves on pavements because their tenements are very small. This kitchen gives them the opportunity to cook food in a hygienic manner. A bio-methanation plant produces methane out of sewage waste generated from a public toilet. The idea was to bring in a paradigm shift from the conventional way of cooking, which is said to be harmful especially for the slum dwellers.”
A Chennai-based company was roped in to construct a biogas tank. The plant with a capacity of 35 cubic metres has three chambers: an inlet tank, a digester tank and an outlet tank. The ACG explained that the waste first goes into the inlet and then to the digester tank, where it remains for a period of 40 days before it starts generating gas. The gas then is taken through the outlet tank.
“Initially, slum dwellers were hesitant about using the gas. After a series of meeting held to sensitise them about using methane gas as an alternate fuel for LPG, they welcomed the idea. Approximately 50 women throng the kitchen and cook for the families. Buoyed by the response from the initiative, the civic body is planning to construct similar community kitchens for the residents and prevent environment pollution.’’