Udupi: Amid a nationwide LPG shortage due to the West Asia crisis, Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt has initiated the setup of a biogas plant at an estimated cost of Rs 60 lakh to meet the cooking gas needs of its kitchens.The project was planned during the tenure of Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Sri Puttige Mutt. Construction of a new, well-equipped unit using modern technology is now under way under the guidance of Sri Vedavardhana Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Shiroor Mutt.
The plant will use waste from the bhojana shalas and kitchens, and cow dung from the gau shala. It will also generate manure for use in the Mutt’s gardens and agricultural fields.Shiroor Mutt Diwan Uday Kumar Saralathaya told TOI that Sri Krishna Mutt prioritises cleanliness. “A well-equipped biogas unit is being initiated as a permanent solution to waste disposal issues and to promote green energy. Despite the shortage of cooking gas, food arrangements are being made using firewood. In the coming days, the establishment can achieve energy self-sufficiency through biogas,” he said.A Chitradurga-based company is setting up the 50-cubic-metre plant near the gau shala, which houses over 80 cattle. Around 750 litres of cow dung from the gau shala and an average of 750kg of wet kitchen waste will be used to produce about 30–40kg of biogas daily.A new boiler system required for daily anna daana was inaugurated Thursday by Sri Vedavardhana Tirtha Swami. He said that eight new steam boilers installed in the kitchen can cook for 30,000 to 50,000 people a day and will help protect the environment.
