November 18, 2010
Amritapuri Campus
Many people at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham have spent years dedicated to the effective management and recycling of campus waste.
The recently begun cleanup drive, the Amala Bharatam Campaign by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math has furthered Amrita’s commitment to cleaning efforts and the effective management of waste.
In addition to reminding us how important it is to live in a clean atmosphere, Chancellor Amma is also emphasizing the importance of conserving our natural resources.
In fact, back in 2005, upon Chancellor Amma’s request, the Amritapuri campus spent five lakh rupees to construct a biogas plant. The plant is housed near the boy’s hostel.
“We are putting in at least 500 kg of food waste into the plant daily,” estimates Baiju P., the plant activity coordinator. “The campus canteen completely runs on fuel produced by the plant.”
The plant has three sections. In the first section, the collected food waste is diluted and allowed to sit undisturbed. Cow dung is added to help the formation of gas. Gas begins to be formed in about ten days.
In the second section, this gas is transferred to a fixed dome, from where it moves through pipes to the canteen.
In the third and final section, the remaining food slurry and water are transferred to the sewage tank. Here the slurry is filtered 3-4 times before it transforms into rich, natural fertilizer for plants.
The waste water is also treated and recycled.
“We have an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for waste water,” remarked Satheesh K., the campus facility manager. This is a scientifically designed treatment plant.”
The effluent treatment process is fairly straightforward. The process begins with grit chambers that collect the waste, which is then filtered through three nets. Next, waste moves into a collection tank and the filtered water into a reactor tank. Effective microbes in the tank naturally prevent the release of any foul smell from the effluents.
The effluents travel to an aeration tank and then to a clarifier tank. Once the filtration process is complete, the filtered water is used for watering plants.
Sateesh and Baiju are two of the many people at the Amritapuri campus, working quietly behind the scenes, to help restore the harmony between man and nature.
“We followed Amma’s instructions regarding waste management and the preservation of energy resources. The work has begun. With each step, we are moving closer towards Amma’s vision for a clean environment in a way that is beneficial to both man and nature,” they stated.
