Belgium Firm's Ayodhya Biodiesel Project Launching Soon

Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils, yellow grease, used cooking oils, or animal fats. The fuel is produced by transesterification-a process that converts fats and oils into biodiesel and glycerin (a co-product).

Vito, a Belgian company, is set to establish a waste-to-biodiesel project in Ayodhya soon. The two-year trial project has been chosen for the temple town. The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust expects several lakh devotees each month after the Ram Mandir opens. The company, whose representatives have began working on the project, specializes in 'cleantech' and sustainable development.

Last week, Vito's Asia-Pacific chief Hafeez Rehman and other officials met with Ayodhya government officials for the first time. In addition, they held a workshop for Ayodhya Municipal Corporation personnel. According to Vishal Singh, the municipal commissioner, the company would begin by generating biodiesel from one tonne of plastic garbage.

It will use the corporation's facility for waste sorting before establishing its own material recovery facility. According to government authorities, Ayodhya was chosen for the trial project because it is expected to see an increase in devotee footfall after the Ram Mandir opens to devotees in January of next year. This will result in greater waste, and garbage disposal will be a serious challenge for the firm.

The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, which is involved in the construction of Ram Mandir, estimates that several lakhs of worshippers will visit each month. According to business executives, the company will also assist in the preparation of cardboards and other waste-derived products. "If the project succeeds in Ayodhya, it will be phased into other parts of the state," said a senior government official.

Aside from garbage management, crowd control will be a major concern in Ayodhya. As a result, the trust has commissioned RITES to conduct a crowd management study in Ayodhya. A study on crowd control in Ayodhya will be prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), a Government of India company, and will be implemented by the state government in the temple town.