Karachi youth turns kitchen waste into biogas amid gas crisis

KARACHI: As Karachi continues to grapple with prolonged gas shortages and load-shedding, a young innovator has developed an environmentally friendly biogas system that converts kitchen waste into cooking fuel.

Mustafa Siraj, a resident of Karachi, has designed a low-cost biogas unit that uses everyday kitchen waste and organic leftovers to produce gas for household cooking, offering a practical alternative to natural gas.

The system works by using food scraps and other biodegradable waste into a specially designed biogas chamber, where natural decomposition produces methane gas. The gas can then be used in a conventional cooking stove, while the remaining organic slurry can serve as fertilizer.

Siraj said the technology is simple, affordable and environmentally friendly, as it not only helps households cope with gas shortages but also reduces the amount of organic waste sent to landfills.

His innovation comes at a time when residents of Karachi continue to face severe gas load-shedding, disrupting daily life and forcing many families to rely on expensive alternatives for cooking.

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The young innovator believes wider adoption of biogas technology could help reduce dependence on conventional natural gas while promoting clean energy and better waste management.

He also urged government agencies and private organisations to support such initiatives, saying that financial and technical assistance could enable similar projects to be implemented on a larger scale, providing relief to households affected by the city’s ongoing energy crisis.

The initiative highlights how locally developed, sustainable technologies can help address Pakistan’s growing energy and environmental challenges.