Bio-CNG to power public transport buses in Indore

Bio-CNG is set to power public transport in Indore, a city which emerged as the cleanliest in a government survey this year.

A pilot project to run select public transport vehicles on bio-fuel has become a success and this has prompted the administration to expand the project.

"At present, two city buses and 20 auto-rickshaws are being run on an experimental basis by fuel sourced from bio- degradable waste like fruits and vegetables.

"This experiment of waste management has been successful," Asad Warsi, the Centre's Swacch Bharat Abhiyans advisor for Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), told PTI.

"Now, we will use this fuel commercially in 20 city buses under the first phase by using bio-CNG in place of normal CNG. Besides aiding in conservation of environment, it will also help cut fuel bill (of IMC)," he said.

A bus can run 3.5 km on per kg of normal CNG, while with bio-CNG, the mileage increases to 4 km, Warsi said.

The IMC has established the citys first bio- methanisation plant in the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar vegetable market where every day 1,000 kg bio-CNG is generated from 20 tonne of waste. After processing, the remaining waste can be converted into manure, he said.

As per the agreement signed with the private firm which has set up this plant, till the next 15 years the cost of bio-CNG will remain less than normal CNG by Rs 5 per kg.

The IMC plans to raise the production of bio-CNG to 4,000 kg per day and that much fuel is enough to run 70 city buses on designated routes, Warsi said.

In May, Indore emerged as the cleanest city, followed by Bhopal and Chandigarh, in the governments cleanliness survey.

This was for the consecutive second time that Indore, the commercial hub of Madhya Pradesh, topped the survey.