Faith meets sustainability: Lalbaugcha Raja 'prasad' waste to power Mumbai's civic hospitals

MUMBAI: In a unique blend of faith and sustainability, wet waste from the prasad counters at Mumbai's iconic Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal will soon power civic hospitals across the city this Ganesh festival.

Under the BMC's 'Prasad to Energy' initiative, around 80 metric tonnes of food waste will be routed to biomethanation plants at four municipal hospitals to generate over 7,700 units of clean electricity, officials said.

The civic body has launched this initiative in coordination with the Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, one of the city's most popular Ganpati pandals that sees heavy footfall of devotees, including celebrities, during the 11-day festival.

According to an official release issued on Friday, the BMC estimates that around 8 to 10 metric tonnes of food and organic waste will be generated daily at the mandal during the 11-day Ganesh festival that begins on September 14.

The segregated waste will be collected at source and transported in dedicated vehicles to biomethanation plants at Nair, Kasturba, GTB, and Sion hospitals, which have a processing capacity of around two metric tonnes of waste each per day.

The actual power generation, however, will depend on the quantity and quality of segregated waste received and the operational condition of the plants, it said.

The electricity generated will be used for suitable purposes at the hospitals, including lighting wards, corridors and other common areas.

A private company has been appointed to operate and maintain the biomethanation project.

The 'Prasad to Energy' initiative aims to demonstrate that wet waste generated during large public festivals can be scientifically processed to produce energy, while reducing the burden on conventional waste disposal systems and promoting the concept of a circular economy, the release said.