Kerala authority makes biogas plants ‘mandatory’ for flat constructions

Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) Chairman Justice J B Koshy has made the inclusion of biogas plants in flat construction permits as ‘mandatory.’ Through an order, KSHRC held that now the construction of flats that are lacking biogas facilities would be denied permits.

He said that municipalities must ensure biogas plant installation in existing flats and address complaints about waste management inadequacies by filing fresh complaints.

This directive, stemming from a complaint by Jacob Mannaraprayil Cor-Episcopa concerning plastic-covered garbage disposal from flats onto roads, requires municipalities to collect and process waste materials, including plastic.

The pathway to a consistent increase in the development of waste-to-energy or biogas plants is becoming likely in the southern state of Kerala. In a significant development recently, the National Green Tribunal has mandated the Kerala Government to adopt the Goa model for solid waste management and has provided specific guidelines for the implementation.

A team appointed by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board recently conducted a study in Goa to examine the effective execution of the model and has compiled a comprehensive report that includes biogas.

Kerala Government has also endorsed proposals from BPCL and GAIL to establish bio-CNG/biogas plants in key urban centers. Immediate action is set to commence on the bio-CNG plant in Kochi, with plans for it to become operational by December 2024. Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Thrissur are also under consideration for similar biogas projects.

The BPCL Kochi Refinery will shortly start the construction of the compressed biogas (CBG) plant it has planned at Brahmapuram in the objective of tackling the metropolitan city’s persistent garbage related problems.