A retired TNEB engineer has come out with a unique
biogas producing system from his septic tank.
Retired additional chief engineer P. Selvan cooks his meals using the gas generated by the septic tank and as recognition of his effort, the District Rural Development Agency has provided a subsidy of Rs8,000 for the project.
Selvan, who recently settled down in Coimbatore with his wife Girijeshwari, has installed the energy saving project in his house as a part of green energy solutions for their daily needs. “We want to make our house a green energy home and this project is a part of it. We started work on the biogas project in November 2011 and now all our cooking is done through this system only,” Selvan said.
The septic tank has been has a 8 feet diameter and 7 feet depth with a dome on top. Near the septic tank, there is another tank for dropping drop the kitchen waste such as vegetable waste and cowdung.
In the middle of the dome in the septic tank, a hole has been made for the biogas pipeline, which connects to the kitchen. The biogas unit is operated by a valve system.
“This system is like LPG gas consumption and is also healthy. We use it to cook all our food from breakfast to dinner,” said Selvan. “I created this biogas system with the guidance and help of my friend Muralidharan, who is working in the TamilNadu Energy development Agency (TEDA). I want this system to be used by the residents of Coimbatore and also of the whole of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University recently visited his home to learn about the biogas system. “I made them sweet keswari and food in the biogas system,” said Girijeshwari.
DRDA officials said that as it was a part of rural area project, they examined it and gave a subsidy of Rs 8,000 to Selvan.
The project objective is to demonstrate the possibility of using 
