Tihar jail to use its biodegradable waste to power its kitchens, bakery

Every day, it takes four trucks to transport bio-degradable waste produced inside Tihar jail complex for disposal. The jail is spread across 400 acres and houses 12,500 inmates. Abhishek Sharan reports.

Every day, it takes four trucks to transport bio-degradable waste produced inside Tihar jail complex for disposal. The jail is spread across 400 acres and houses 12,500 inmates.

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Considered a bane till now, Tihar’s waste will soon become fuel for two proposed environment-friendly bio-gas plants to run its kitchens and a bakery unit. The Tihar jail administration has undertaken the project to set up two bio gas plants in collaboration with the Mumbai-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). BARC is India’s premier nuclear research and development facility.

“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BARC authorities for the setting up of two bio-gas plants. BARC will set up the plants and will also help in running them,” said a prison source.

The gas plants would use bio-degradable waste including wooden waste produced in the jail’s carpentry and other workshops, kitchen waste, paper pulp and discarded clothes and blankets.

Once ready, they will substantially reduce Tihar’s monthly bills for fuel and waste-disposal, which come out to be around R3 lakh jointly, said the source.

Confirming this, Tihar's spokesperson Sunil Gupta said, “The project to set up two biogas plants with the help of BARC has been sent to the Delhi government for approval.”

The gas plants will get commissioned within three months after the prison administration gets the approval, he said. “The gas plants will lead to a better waste management system and contribute to an environment-friendly environment,” said Gupta.

The gas plants will be set up near sub-jail number two and a spot adjacent to sub-jail number six.

Once ready, the biogas plants will produce fuel to replace compressed natural gas in Tihar’s kitchens that feed around 1,200 inmates on an average. If the project is a success, we may expand the project and set up a biogas plant for eight more sub-jails, said the source.