By Anand Sekhar, student at Nitte Institution of Communication
Mangaluru, Apr 14: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This statement of Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway on sustainable development is acquiring more gravity today. The vibrant discussions about the importance of sustainable development in India is increasing rapidly from the past few years. Bio-technology is considered as one of the best options towards sustainable development.
Considering this, Mangaluru joins the trend of sustainable development through the biogas plant situated near Urwa market which was established in the year 2013. This biogas plant which was previously owned by Wipro is currently running under the supervision of Mangaluru City Corporation(MCC). Biogas is a gaseous fuel which is a cheap secondary renewable energy, capable of changing the face and the future of the city. But the biogas plant in Mangaluru is not given the importance as mush as it deserves.
The wastes from markets and flats are collected and transported to biogas plant by the MCC workers. They take up to 1,000 kg per day whereas the actual capacity of the plant is 210 kg. The plant which is overloading currently is been in the same condition for a long time.
The increase in the capacity of the plant will lead to the birth of a new Mangaluru with clean, clear, sufficient and renewable energy. This small city can even be the power house of the entire nation if the follow up upgrades are allotted. The waste collected is processed through various steps. The waste is transferred into a draining machine followed by an outer tank in which the waste is stored in its lane for 8 days. After several scientific processes, the waste is transferred into large tank where the gas gets separated and the remaining is used as manure. An efficient supply system of the manure thus formed can pave the way for the boost in the agricultural production of the state.
The ratio of the waste produced by the city and the capacity of biogas plant is currently unbalanced. The need to improve the facility of the biogas plant is largely faced by the people of Mangaluru city. The manager of the plant commented that "Followed by increasing the efficiency of the biogas plant, the tendency of the people to mix the plastic waste with bio waste should be changed for the effective functioning of waste management". If the plant is developed to meet the requirements of the city it will be a milestone towards sustainable development in the history of Mangaluru.