GAIL team inspects proposed biogas project site; final call awaited

Belagavi: Amid strong opposition from residents of Mandoli and Hangarga villages, a team from Gas India Authority Limited (GAIL) conducted a physical inspection on Saturday of the nine-acre site identified for a proposed compressed biogas project on Mandoli Road.Senior representatives and managers from GAIL arrived from New Delhi to assess the site, accompanied by Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) environmental engineers Adil Khan and Praveen Kumar Khilare. Officials briefed the GAIL team on the site layout, surrounding conditions, road connectivity, technical feasibility and future planning aspects of the proposed project.Sources said the inspection also included a preliminary assessment of nearby villages and possible environmental implications. The municipal corporation plans to set up the compressed biogas plant to process the city's solid waste, particularly wet waste, and generate biogas as part of its waste management strategy.Meanwhile, opposition to the project has intensified. On Friday, residents of Mandoli and Hangarga submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, demanding that the project not be implemented at the proposed location under any circumstances.Sources indicated that while the initial inspection was considered satisfactory, the final decision will be taken only after consultations with senior GAIL officials in New Delhi.