India's landfill sites 'could provide answer to fuel shortages'

American and Indian researchers are looking into the possibility of channeling methane released by Indian landfill sites and using it to plug the country's energy deficits, it has been reported.

Center for Air Quality Studies at the Texas Transportation Institute and India's National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) are collaborating on the project.

Deputy director of the NEERI Rakesh Kumar stated: "Energy scarcity in all its forms is a big issue in India. Any attempt to get [new] energy sources, particularly unconventional sources, is most welcome."

Joe Zietsman, manager of the project and director of the Texas institute, added that capturing the methane gas before it seeps into the atmosphere is an imperative part of the process.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is funding the research as part of its methane to markets initiative.

Focusing on agriculture, coal mines, oil and gas systems and landfill sites, the project aims to reduce methane emissions globally while boosting economic growth.