(TNIE)
Mounds of garbage sprouting in cities and coal mines shut due to high ash contents may soon fire cooking stoves in kitchens, as the government is gearing up to unveil an ambitious plan to cut down the dependence on west Asian countries for LPG imports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the NITI Aayog for solutions to piling of urban garbage at landfill sites in a number of big cities. The think tank panel has drawn up a blueprint which can offer not just viable business opportunities for private players but help India cut down its import bill substantially.
“The urban solid waste lying unattended at various landfill sites like Ghazipur on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border could be converted into gas, which can be utilised as LPG for cooking needs. Besides, there is excessive ash content at several mines in the states like West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, which are not in demand amongst the coal-based power plants. Coals with high ash contents can also be converted into LPG,” V K Saraswat, a member of NITI Aayog, told The Sunday Standard.
