NAST Hopes to Produce Bio-Fuels from Water Hyacinth in Phewa Lake
by Sangeet Sangroula (MyRepublica.com) Managing water hyacinth, also known as jal kumbhi, which has been defacing the scenic beauty of Phewa Lake in Pokhara, has been a nightmare for the local authorities. But researchers at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) say that the luxuriant water hyacinth can be used for bio-fuel production.
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Following the revelation of the potentialities of the plants for bio-fuel productions, the NAST and PURC on Sunday launched a 15-month long research for the sustainable management of water hyacinths in the lake, which spans around 450 hectors of land in Pokhara. Around 3.5 million rupees have been allocated for the research, according to Khanal.
The second phase of the research on the wild plant in the lake will be carried out from the next fiscal year.
“Ethanol produced from the water hyacinths can be mixed with solid waste from animals and other type of organic solid wastages for bio-fuel production. We shall pilot several techniques for the bio-fuel productions,” he informed. READ MORE