Bilaspur (HP), April 4 The Naina Devi Temple Trust has become the first Shakti Peeth in Himachal to produce biogas from organic waste generated by its community kitchen or langar, officials said on Saturday.
The temple, located in Himachal's Bilaspur district, attracts a large number of devotees. By generating biogas from langar waste, it has earned the distinction of becoming the first such religious institution in the state to implement such an initiative, they said.
Dharampal Chaudhary, chairman of the Shri Naina Devi Temple Trust and the local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), said the capacity of this biogas plant will be further expanded in the near future.
The trust has installed a modern, prefabricated biogas plant equipped with solid waste management capabilities. The plant is now fully operational, and the gas is being used directly in the temple kitchen to prepare Prasad and langar meals.
With a processing capacity of 200 kilograms of organic waste, the plant is currently producing approximately 20 kilograms of biogas daily during its initial phase. In the future, it will be ensured that daily gas production is equivalent to the number of commercial cylinders used.
This project was successfully established with technical expertise provided by Green Brick Eco Solutions, according to officials.
Currently, the temple's langar consumes between 5 and 8 commercial LPG cylinders daily to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner for devotees. The commencement of biogas production will not only save money but also enable the scientific disposal of waste generated within the temple premises.
Previously, the disposal of this organic waste posed significant logistical challenges, officials added.