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| Mule dung to replace LPG | | | Vaibhavi Chandel
Jammu, Jan 13: Shrine Board has got a solution to the ever growing problem of the waste generated by mules. Nearly 40 tonnes of dung being excreted by mules every day on the 13 kilometre long trek route to the Vaishno Devi shrine was causing stink in the area would now be converted into fuel pellets and replace the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking and heating.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) that was engaged by the shrine board to suggest a solution to the huge quantity of waste generated at the shrine and the trek route has given several proposals to meet the problem.
The huge quantity of dung generated by about 8000 mules and other waste by the mushrooming business establishments and catering houses at the 5300 ft high shrine has reached critical proportions and has become a big problem for the shrine board authorities.
The proposal of shrine board to set up a plant to convert mule dung into fuel was sanctioned by the Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
More than 80 lakh pilgrims visit the shrine every year and their number is around 40,000 per day during the peak season.
According to report submitted by TERI the project was aimed at framing a strategy for solid waste management in order to tackle the solid waste generated, primarily focusing on mule dung, in a manner that would have no adverse environmental impact.
The technological option that could be used for energy recovery from the waste as proposed by TERI is the thermo-chemical conversion, which entails thermal decomposition of organic matter to produce either heat energy or fuel oil or gas. This method does not require strict temperature control or stringent input waste quality control. A detailed study revealed that the process could produce enough energy for heating water and cooking at the shrine.
The TERI team during the survey found that the mule dung was dumped on the hill slopes and burnt thereby damaging the sensitive ecology of the area and threatening forest fires.
The TERI has recommended setting up of a refuse derived fuel (RDF) briquetting and palletisation plant in the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode to handle about 6000 tonnes mule dung per annum.
"To meet all the cooking needs at Adhkuwari, Sanjichhat, and Bhavan, six powdered biomass based steam generators must be installed (3 at Bhavan, 1 at Sanjichhat, and 2 at Adhkuwari). This will totally eliminate the use of LPG" states the report submitted by TERI to the Shrine Board. Wastes like plastic spoons, kitchen waste (vegetables and other food stuff), minor waste like disposable cups and glasses, and some amount of recyclable packaging material has been recommended to be sent to the waste processing facility, to be erected at Adhkuwari and Bhavan.
The TERI has suggested a bucket trolley assembly for efficient waste collection and transportation to carry up to 25 kg of mule dung. A total of 30 carts and 370 buckets will be required.
According to the veterinary experts, a normal healthy mule weighing about 300-350-Kg excretes 5-6 Kg of feces and urine daily. According to assistant surgeon at Animal Husbandry department, mule excrete contain Potash, Nitrogen and Ammonia that are important for producing bio gas. He says that nearly 110-150 volumes of big-gas can be produced from one Kg of mule excrete.
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