MCC plans to set up Modern Animal Waste Processing Plant in city

Mysore:  A common complaint these days is the manner in which animal waste from meat/ fish stalls and hotels is being discarded in an unscientific manner in city. More often than not, the waste is simply dumped into drains, resulting in clogging and other issues.

Mysuru has more than 500 chicken, mutton and fish stalls spread across the city and they together generate more than 10 tonnes of waste every day and even a gram of it is not processed. This might soon change as the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) plans to open an Animal Waste Processing Plant (Modern Carcass Utilisation Plant) to convert the waste into biogas, compost and high-protein powder to be used as canine and aqua feed.

Rather, the MCC is reviving its old proposal to set up the Animal Waste Processing Plant and giving it a fresh lease of life taking help from a private poultry firm. At present, the MCC is transporting animal waste generated daily in eight vehicles and is doing “deep burial” at Kesare where the waste is buried in pits that are dug deeper than 15 feet.

As per the proposal, a rendering plant (rendering is a process that converts waste animal tissues into stable, usable materials. Rendering can refer to any processing of animal products into more useful materials) will enable the MCC to obtain biogas, compost and aqua and canine feed. Livestock and fish feed and pet food produced using animal waste will help in controlling environment pollution and will result in wealth being generated from waste.

MCC sources said that the proposal was before the civic body and a budget of Rs. 5 crore was fixed. The project even came for discussion in the Council meeting but for some reason or the other, the ambitious project was shelved.

The MCC will consult Jeevan Das Rai of Pragathi Broilers in Chennai who has successfully set up a chicken waste processing plant on the Tirupati-Chennai Highway. MCC sources said that Jeevan would soon make a presentation to the MCC and after that a Detailed Project Report will be prepared.

“The DPR will come before the Health Committee and later it will be presented before the Council and will be sent to the State Government for approval,” said Dr. S.C. Suresh, Assistant Director, Veterinary Department, MCC.

Sources said that in Jaipur and Jodhpur, two such Plants are being operated successfully in technical, environmental and commercial view by private entrepreneurs which have been leased out by the City Corporations. In view of success of those Plants in reducing the environmental hazards and profitability, the MCC is willing to set up such a Plant near city.

The required land area for construction of Modern Carcass Utilisation Plant will be a minimum 4,500 square metres. He added that the MCC has five acres of land at Rayanakere and Vidyaranyapuram and the Waste Processing Plant will come up at one of the locations.

The Plant will have facilities including dead animal collection centre, store area, lifting system for carcasses, adequate facilities for skinning and de-hiding, a scientific system to handle by-products and an Effluent Treatment Plant.