Kerala - Kochi   

Study finds preference for biogas plants

KOCHI: Highlighting the need to decentralise solid waste management, a study conducted by the SCMS Centre for Socio-Economic Research here found that the majority of respondents in the city preferred setting up biogas plants for waste treatment.

The survey was conducted in 832 households in 15 wards. The areas included Elamakkara North, Thrikkanarvattom, Karukappilli, Kaloor South, Kathrikadavu, Elamkulam, Thammanam, Kadavanthra, Vaduthala East, Puthukkalavattom, Edapally, Devankulangara, Vennala, Chalikkavattom and Thevara.

It was found that 488 households preferred biogas plants while 186 voted for vermi-compost units.

“Interestingly, 19 per cent of the respondents said that they did not want assistance for installation of biogas or vermi-compost units,” said Radha Thevannoor, project co-ordinator and director of the SCMS School of Technology and Management.

Preference level for biogas plant installation was found high among people in the income category of Rs.5,000 and below and those in the category between Rs.5,001 and Rs.15, 000.

Residents of Elamakkara North, Thrikkanarvattom, Kaloor South, Thammanam, Vennala and Chalikkavattom preferred biogas plants. Vermi-compost units had takers in areas like Kathrikadavu and Puthukalavattom.

Pointing towards the public perception on the feasibility of various intervention strategies on waste disposal, Ms. Thevannoor said that the majority preferred financial aid rather than technical help from the part of the Government.

“It was found that 80.5 per cent of the total respondents preferred common facilities than individual ones. The responses were high among all the income categories,” she said.

N. Rajagopal and Poornima Narayan, research team members, said that 45.9 per cent respondents depended on organised groups for waste disposal while 27.6 per cent dumped the waste in Corporation bins.

“It was found that the waste generated from organic matter/ vegetables constituted 31 per cent of the total waste followed by garden waste (20 per cent). Plastic and rubber constituted 12 per cent of the total waste,” they said.

The study found that there was no system of segregation of organic, inorganic and recyclable waste at the household level.

Residents also supported Kudumbasree units engaged in waste collection. Lack of space for setting up bio-gas plants was found in apartments in the city.

Recommending that financial intervention strategies on waste management should be primarily targeted at middle and lower income categories, the team suggested setting up model community biogas plants in areas coming under Kochi Corporation.

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