Housing society in Pune uses leftover food to light its parks
WATER & WASTE

Housing society in Pune uses leftover food to light its parks

Savitri Bai Patil used to associate garbage disposal with stinking, putrefied heaps of trash strewn about her Pune neighbourhood four years ago.

However, the streets of the Ashok Meadows housing complex, where she lives, are now clean, with workers regularly picking up trash from residents' doorsteps and converting some of it into electricity.

Since 2017, the complex has disposed of its food waste in a digester, which converts it to biogas, which is used to power the neighbourhood's streetlights, social club, park and gym.

similar to the one used in Ashok Meadows. Over 75 biogas generators have now been installed across India.

According to company president Jalaj Kumar Chaturvedi, the EnergyBin systems, developed by Pune-based Xeon Waste Managers (XWM), allow communities to convert waste into free, renewable energy.

The complex's system has helped dispose of nearly a tonne of garbage per day, according to Ashok Meadows resident Rishika Mahalley.

Before purchasing the generator for 2.3 million Indian rupees or $31,000, the community struggled with unreliable municipal garbage collection, which often resulted in waste piling up.

Waste pickers paid by Ashok Meadows residents deposit between 550 kg and 600 kg or 1,300 pounds of food waste into the biogas plant, according to Mahalley.

When organic matter decomposes, flammable gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced.

The methane is then pressurised and piped into a power generator, which burns the gas to provide the community with 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity each day.

According to Mahalley, the complex used to spend about 550 rupees, or $7.50 per day, on electricity for streetlights and other common facilities before the plant was installed, a cost that has now virtually vanished.

Residents can also save up to Rs 6,000 or $82 per month on the municipal garbage disposal.

Image Source


Also read: North Delhi municipal corp to develop plastic waste processing plant

Savitri Bai Patil used to associate garbage disposal with stinking, putrefied heaps of trash strewn about her Pune neighbourhood four years ago. However, the streets of the Ashok Meadows housing complex, where she lives, are now clean, with workers regularly picking up trash from residents' doorsteps and converting some of it into electricity. Since 2017, the complex has disposed of its food waste in a digester, which converts it to biogas, which is used to power the neighbourhood's streetlights, social club, park and gym. similar to the one used in Ashok Meadows. Over 75 biogas generators have now been installed across India. According to company president Jalaj Kumar Chaturvedi, the EnergyBin systems, developed by Pune-based Xeon Waste Managers (XWM), allow communities to convert waste into free, renewable energy. The complex's system has helped dispose of nearly a tonne of garbage per day, according to Ashok Meadows resident Rishika Mahalley. Before purchasing the generator for 2.3 million Indian rupees or $31,000, the community struggled with unreliable municipal garbage collection, which often resulted in waste piling up. Waste pickers paid by Ashok Meadows residents deposit between 550 kg and 600 kg or 1,300 pounds of food waste into the biogas plant, according to Mahalley. When organic matter decomposes, flammable gases such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced. The methane is then pressurised and piped into a power generator, which burns the gas to provide the community with 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity each day. According to Mahalley, the complex used to spend about 550 rupees, or $7.50 per day, on electricity for streetlights and other common facilities before the plant was installed, a cost that has now virtually vanished. Residents can also save up to Rs 6,000 or $82 per month on the municipal garbage disposal. Image Source Also read: North Delhi municipal corp to develop plastic waste processing plant

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

Next Story
Real Estate

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?