HOTELS and hostels in the Union Territory are saving on LPG by cooking food with bio-gas (Methane) generated from human waste. On an average, eight to 10 LPG commercial cylinders are saved per month, users say . The advantage of bio-gas is that resources required for it are generated locally and the only probable cost is the installation expenses of the plant and the gas stove with modified burners. "The whole process is eco-friendly and there is no odour," says Project Director, Renewable Energy Agency of Pondicherry, D Selvi. At present four bio-gas plants have been installed in Pondicherry Engineering Col lege (PEC), Jawahar Navodoya Vidyalaya, Adi-Dravida Boys Hostel and at New bus stand. While food for 450 students in hostels of PEC is cooked using bio-gas on a daily basis, the teachers of Navaodyaya School are utilising the gas for cooking in their residences. The bio-gas from the plant at new bus stand is being utilised for cooking in hotels. The trend started three years ago when a bio-gas project utilising human waste and vegetable waste was installed in the bus stand by the then Minister for Local Administration and Rural Development, E Elumalai. It was installed in a bid to get rid of the waste collected in the bus stand as well as generate energy out of it. With around 8,000 people utilising the bus stand toilets on a daily basis, excreta collected from the toilets along with vegetable waste from all the hotels in and around the area remain the main ingredients for the production of Methane. The project set up at a cost of Rs 3.96 lakh with a capacity of 25 cubic metres, is capable of producing one and a half cylinders of gas per day. However eight to 10 cylinders of gas is being produced for utilisation by a hotel. Similarly a bio-gas generator of 15 cubic metres capacity installed at a cost of Rs 2.1 lakh is serving PEC for over three years now. Biogas project comprises a digester in the form of a capsule wherein the gas created in the digester would get collected in the capsule on top and from it gas is supplied through pipes..