Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, an educational institution in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has demonstrated a waste-to-energy model, achieving self-reliance in cooking fuel through a biogas-based system.
Shrimati Manekba Vinay Vihar Educational Complex, managed by Vasumati Charitable Trust, has transitioned fully from conventional LPG to biogas for its daily cooking requirements.
Biogas plants power campus operations
The campus prepares meals for over 500 individuals, including around 250 hostel students and 15 staff families residing on the premises.
It operates two biogas plants with a combined capacity of 90 cubic metres per day, utilising dung from 222 cows along with kitchen waste and agricultural residue to generate fuel for cooking.
Waste utilisation supports organic farming
The biogas generated meets the institution’s entire cooking fuel requirement, eliminating the need for LPG cylinders.
The slurry produced as a by-product is used as manure in fields, supporting organic farming practices and closing the waste loop.
Scheme support and wider adoption
“We have become self-reliant in cooking gas under Gujarat government’s Institutional Biogas Plant Scheme. Without this plant, we would require around 30 LPG cylinders every month,” said Shrimati Manekba Vinay Vihar Educational Complex, officials.
Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) provides financial assistance for biogas plants with capacities ranging from 25 to 85 cubic metres, and around 193 such institutional plants have been set up across Gujarat over the past five years.