Ahmedabad: The city’s effort to manage stray cattle is delivering a positive benefit. Waste generated at municipal cattle shelters is being converted into biogas and electricity. Dung from the stray cattle at Karuna Mandirs located in Bakrol and Danilimda produce 2,8000kg of dung daily that is used to produce 46kg of biogas and 35 units of electricity daily. Workers at these shelters use the gas for daily cooking. The civic body is now planning to scale up the model.The larger facility in Bakrol spreads across 50,000 sq m and houses around 750 cattle. These animals generate about 2,800 kg of dung every day. To put this waste to use, the civic body has installed two biogas plants, each with a capacity of one tonne. Officials say about 1,000kg of dung is required daily to produce biogas, which yields roughly 46kg of gas and 35 units of electricity per day. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) set up a special plant to generate biogas and electricity from this dung.Municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani said the initiative is part of the ‘Stray Cattle Nuisance Prevention and Control Policy’ introduced in 2023 to tackle the growing problem of stray cattle on city streets. Under the policy, animals are relocated to shelters where veterinary staff and caretakers manage their upkeep.CNCD head Naresh Rajput said that the biogas produced at the Bakrol shelter is used to run the kitchen. Around 32 workers and their families rely on this fuel for cooking. Officials said the switch has completely eliminated the need for about 27 LPG cylinders every month. They also save around Rs 10,350 monthly in electricity costs.The project also makes use of by-products. The slurry generated from the biogas process is used as fertiliser for plantations. In addition, dung-based products such as sticks are made and distributed free to temples for rituals like Vedic Holi, homa-havan and Ramroti. This activity has also created employment for 13 workers.A similar model is in place at the Karuna Mandir in Danilimda, where around 350 cattle produce about 1,700kg of dung daily. A biogas plant here also generates gas and electricity from the waste. Officials said the civic body is now exploring ways to expand the model further. Plans are being considered to use surplus vegetables from nearby markets along with dung to boost biogas production and increase energy output.
