No takers for tech that turns waste into energy

The technology has been invented by octogenarian mechanical engineer K.S. Sivaprasad.

At a time when India is facing garbage disposal problem across the country, octogenarian engineer K.S. Sivaprasad has come out with a technology that will convert trash into electricity, solving much of the waste disposal as well as power shortage problems in several parts of the country. Under the technology, invented by the 80-year-old mechanical engineer, civic authorities can collect the city’s waste, dry them, ignite them and then turn them into electricity. Sivaprasad’s technology is currently in use in several plants in Malaysia, where 800 tonne of garbage is collected from its cities everyday, segregated, dried and burned to generate electricity of up to 5.5 mega watt, which is then transferred to the power grid for consumption. India generates about 250 million tonne of garbage every day but the country does not have a single plant to convert this waste into energy. However, some plants do exist in some parts of the country that make fuel from the waste, also known as refuse derived fuel, but such plants are so minuscule in number that the effect remains negligible. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Sivaprasad said, “Garbage has several reusable, recyclable materials and dormant energy that can be converted into usable energy, thus solving both the problems of waste disposal as well as the power shortage in India. This form of energy would also be a renewable energy having a positive impact on the environment.” This technology has recently been adopted by an Australian company which is going to implement this project in Cambodia that would convert most of Cambodia’s waste into energy in the coming years solving much of the country’s waste and energy problems. However, Sivaprasad mentions that his efforts in getting the technology implemented in India have yielded no results despite having several rounds of meetings with the bureaucrats from some states. “This technology was presented in the United Nations and I had got it patented as well. After which a Malaysian company had come for a tie-up, and now the Australian. It had been highly appreciated by the American government. But it is sad that when this technology is made by an Indian and used across the world, India has failed to understand the need for healthy garbage disposal and use this as a form of energy. I hope the government takes this up and converts the huge amount of waste being generated in India in the urban areas and convert them into waste.” Sivaprasad said.

“Several presentations were made before bureaucrats. But the bureaucratic mechanism is such that it is very difficult to get anything done. Now with the Prime Minister giving a call forSwaach Bharat, I hope this technology would be used to solve the problem of city wastes,” Sivaprasad added.