The Arcot Municipal Administration has sent a communication to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) seeking permission to connect the streetlights to the power generation unit of the bio-gas plant.
The project had inspired the State government, which in turn decided to implement similar units in other municipalities and corporations in the State, to have an efficient mechanism to convert the municipal solid waste (MSW) into electricity and organic manure.
In fact, Commissioner of Municipal Administration Hemant Kumar Sinha was all praise for the officials and the public, for implementing such a scheme. “I am very happy to see that the Arcot model has turned into a State model,” Arcot MLA R Srinivasan, who had contributed `6 lakh for the project, said.
The plant, which was inaugurated in August 2012, was established at a cost of `45 lakh, under the Self Sufficiency Scheme (SSS), with a contribution of `23 lakh from the philanthropists and merchant associations.
The local body had succeeded in the project by converting three metric tonnes of organic waste, which were generated from marriage halls, hotels, meat shops, houses, fish and vegetable markets, to generate electricity. The unit is designed to generate 265 to 285 units of electricity per day and light up over 250 streetlights. The official said, the project would save around `9 lakh per annum, by saving electricity bill and disposal of the MSW.
“We have been using the electricity to power 15 streetlights. After TANGEDCO gives its nod, we will power more than 250 streetlights in municipality,” Arcot Municipal Commissioner S Parijatham said.
“Now, the Arcot Town, particularly the fish and vegetable markets, are clean as the organic waste is being collected on a daily basis. We have also started collecting organic wastes from houses,” she added.
“The public is also happy with the clean market as there is no garbage and foul odour,” said Srinivasan.