Something that Chennai Could Look At

There is an example here that Chennai, with its two stinking eyesores - the Adayar and the Cooum - could emulate: Kansas City uses human waste to grow crops for the biofuel sector. While India is working hard to cultivate large acreages of waste land with jatropha for its fledgling biofuels sector, large cities like Chennai keep sending tens of thousands of tons of sewerage into the sea every single day, sometimes even clogging up the two rivers into which this sewerage is let and stinking the city up. Every attempt at "beautifying" these rivers has so far concentrated on dredging the sewage and clearing a channel for it to flow into the sea. Some years ago, I had suggested to the then Deputy Chief Minister that he consider an experimental plant to convert the sewage into Synthetic Gasoline using the technology developed by a certain US company. Not much came of it as he was subsequently voted out in the elections. Perhaps, a simpler use for the sewage as in Kansas City might be the answer. Use it to grow more jatropha, convert the jatropha into biodiesel, and reduce the amount of money that hard working Indians send to the Middle East for fuel day after day, year after year.

Since India Seems Committed to Jatropha Cultivation, This May be of Interest

An interesting Forbes perspective on Jatropha which has been regarded as a miracle crop of sorts in India: Link. On the one hand, traditional Jatropha may not be the miracle crop that it is cracked up to be. On the other hand, with hybridization, it may be possible to tailor Jatropha varieties for the various different soils and environments that it is grown in.

I do wish that the Indian government would pay more attention to this than to inflicting third rate junk like Bt Brinjal on the nation!

PS SG Biofuels's website is: Link. Hopefully, some company in India ties up with them soon!