Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has turned a civic challenge into a sustainability model by converting cattle waste into biogas and electricity, while also addressing the issue of stray cattle on city roads.

Under its Cattle Nuisance Control Department (CNCD), the AMC has been capturing stray cattle from across the city and relocating them to shelters at Bakrol and Danilimda. Apart from reducing public inconvenience, the initiative has enabled the civic body to generate alternative energy from cattle dung, marking a significant step in waste management and environmental conservation, a press release stated.

At the Karuna Mandir facility in Bakrol, spread over 50,000 sq m and housing around 750 cattle, nearly 2,800 kg of dung is collected daily. The AMC has installed two biogas plants of one-tonne capacity each at the site, producing around 46 kg of biogas and about 35 units of electricity daily.

Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani said the initiative is part of the ‘Stray Cattle Nuisance Prevention and Control Policy’ implemented in 2023 to tackle the issue of stray cattle in Ahmedabad. The project has not only improved urban management but also resulted in monthly savings of about ₹3.5 lakh in waste disposal costs.

Officials said the Bakrol facility has been developed as the city’s first zero-waste campus, where 100% biodegradable waste is processed using the “reduce, reuse, recycle” approach.

Naresh Rajput, Head of the Cattle Nuisance Control Department of AMC, said, “The biogas generated here at Bakrol is used for cooking. Around 32 workers reside on the campus, and their meals are prepared using this biogas. Earlier, about 27 LPG cylinders were required every month, but this has now been completely eliminated, resulting in monthly electricity savings of ₹10,350.”

More than 1,000 rotis are prepared daily for cows and dogs at the Karuna Mandir in Bakrol, and all cooking is done using biogas. Donors visiting the facility offer rotis mixed with jaggery to the cows and contribute towards cow welfare.

The biogas slurry is being used as organic fertiliser for plantations, while dung-based products such as sticks are distributed free to temples for rituals and religious activities, also generating employment for about 13 workers.

At the Danilimda facility, which houses around 350 cattle and generates about 1,700 kg of dung daily, a similar biogas plant has been installed to produce both gas and electricity.

The AMC is now planning to expand the project by utilising vegetable waste from nearby markets along with cattle dung to further enhance biogas production and strengthen the city’s sustainable waste-to-energy ecosystem. DeshGujarat