Mysuru: In yet another step towards sustainable waste management, the State Government has approved the establishment of a bio-gas production unit using wet waste at the Bandipalya APMC premises on Nanjangud Road, on the outskirts of city.

With the Government’s approval for the action plan to generate bio-gas from wet, fruit and vegetable waste collected daily at the APMC yard, the initiative aims to transform the market into the State’s first zero-waste APMC yard.

Currently, about 25 to 30 tonnes of wet waste are generated every day at the Bandipalya market. To process this waste efficiently and promote sustainable disposal, authorities plan to set up a 50 TPD (Tonnes Per Day) bio-gas (Compressed Natural Gas – CNG) production plant within the premises.

The proposed bio-gas plant, spread over one acre, will be established at a cost of Rs. 24 lakh in collaboration with private partners. The plant will process large quantities of decomposed fruits, vegetables and other perishables to generate CNG, which can be used as fuel in certain categories of automobiles.

APMC Secretary Kumaraswamy said that the bio-gas unit within the market will help prevent indiscriminate dumping of waste outside the premises. He added that the by-products from bio-gas generation will be utilised to produce organic compost, which can be effectively used in nurseries                                                   and gardens.