West Bengal to build biogas plants in tribal residential schools in 6 districts

The West Bengal government has announced plans to set up biogas plants in residential schools and hostels for tribal students across six districts. The objective of the state government is to promote cleaner and more efficient energy use in state-run institutions.

The biogas plants will be built in all Eklavya Model Residential Schools and hostels that cater to students from Scheduled Tribe communities. As per reports, the biogas facilities will convert organic waste generated on campus into cooking gas for hostel kitchens helping the schools to reduce reliance on conventional fuels.

The focus on biogas would address both waste management and fuel consumption. Residential hostels generate biodegradable waste on daily basis which could be utilised to produce green gas.

Before installation, each school campus will undergo an assessment to determine the appropriate size of the biogas plant, based on student strength and the volume of waste produced. Authorities expect the plants to meet a substantial portion of the hostels’ daily cooking requirements.

The project has been estimated to cost slightly over Rs 15 lakh. The budget covers installation as well as multi-year operational support. Learning from past experiences where similar units became defunct due to poor maintenance, the government has incorporated long-term upkeep provisions into the plan.

Reports say that funds have already been earmarked, and experienced agencies will be selected through a competitive bidding process. Once finalised, installations are expected to be completed within four months. Performance of the biogas project will be closely monitored, with the possibility of expanding the model to other government-run residential institutions if successful.

Recently, the famous Chennai High School in Adyar launched a biogas plant named ‘Vayu’ that would transform bio-waste into to fuel the school’s midday meal program.