More than a year has passed since Sri Rejeki stopped purchasing propane gas for cooking. Since starting to use biogas, which is produced from household waste, the motherof-two has been able to cook without having to worry about the increasing price of gas.

"When I was still using propane, I used up to a canis­ter a month. But now I save at least Rp 56,000 (approxi­mately US$6.20) per month and don't have to worry about running out of gas to cook with," said the resident of Kali Code in Pasiraman, Yogyakarta.

Sri said she was repulsed the first time she used biogas for cooking because of the pungent smell of the fuel.

"I imagined the stove was fueled by my own waste. But eventually I got used to it and realized the food still tasted the same," she said.

The biogas program was initiated by residents to create   a   cleaner   environment along the river embankment. They, decided to join the government-sponsored Clean River Program, or Prokasih.

Assisted by the Yogyakarta municipality, residents col­lected funding to build a waste processing facility to benefit 250 people, or 52 families, in the village. The project was completed in December 2005.

"Before the communal facility was built, some people disposed of their waste directly into the river or drainage system. Those who dispose of their solid waste outdoors spoil the environ­ment, especially during the dry season when waste can be found everywhere," said Heru, the coordinator of the facility.

The facility initially func­tioned to filter household waste to minimize pollution in the river.

The waste processing facility is equipped with a biogas digester which processes waste to produce gas for cooking and lighting."This system can be'very cost-effective. As long as humans continue eating, they will defecate and our source of energy will, always be renewable. With this system we don't have to worry about running out of fuel any longer," said Bambang, anoth­er resident.

The process of treating solid waste to create gas is quite simple. The digester, a huge concrete tank, is filled to a third with water to prevent the waste from drying and to accelerate the decomposing process.  Chicken manure is also added to the tank to stimulate this process.

"We add chicken manure to speed up the decaying process. After that, as long as we defecate, gas will be available all the time," said Bambang.

Using the gas is simple. Gas at the top of the digester tank is channeled to homes with pipes. "They just have to turn on a tap to ignite their stove," he said.

Only 18 of the 52 families in the village are benefiting from biogas at the moment."We will all benefit from the fuel in stages. Besides creating a cleaner environment, it is also economically beneficial for residents," said Bambang.

Residents have mutually agreed to run the facilitj independently. Through village meetings, residents elect members biennially to man­age the facility. Residents are required to pay Rp 1,000 per month for its upkeep.

"This is very cheap. We pay Rp 1,000 to use toilets at bus terminals and train stations," said Bambang.

The office head of the Yogyakarta Environmental Impact Control Agency, Peter Lawuasal, said there were 43 similar facilities being built along the Code, Gajah Wong and Winonggo rivers which run through the city.

He said environmental cleanliness is difficult to regulate without public participation and awareness. "We are trying to raise public awareness to achieve the best result in this project," said Peter.

Sumber : The Jakarta Post
Tanggal Tayang : 31-3-2007

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