New Delhi, March 16 – The Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed the Rajya Sabha that 37 proposals have been approved, with financial assistance of ₹248 crore, to convert rural bio-waste, including animal waste, kitchen leftovers, and crop residue, into biogas.
Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, in a written reply to a question, stated that the government has adopted a "Whole-of-Government" approach for the development of Compressed Biogas (CBG) projects under the GOBARdhan initiative, involving multiple Ministries and Departments.
GOBARdhan is an integral component of Solid and Waste Management (SWM) that ensures cleanliness in villages by converting bio-waste, including animal waste, kitchen leftovers, crop residue, and market waste, into biogas and bio-slurry.
Somanna said that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), which is the nodal Ministry for the GOBARdhan scheme, is implementing a scheme to support CBG producers in procuring Biomass Aggregation Machinery (BAM) with a total outlay of ₹564.75 crore.
Additionally, MoPNG is also implementing another scheme, the Development of Pipeline Infrastructure (DPI), to facilitate CBG off-take, with a total financial outlay of ₹994.5 crore for the period FY 2024-25 to 2028-29, said Somanna.
Under this project, financial assistance of ₹56.31 crore has been sanctioned, he said.
Somanna also stated that these projects are also contributing to the rural economy by generating employment, augmenting farmers' income, supporting the circular economy, and supporting rural infrastructure development.
He added that the project proponents report the status and production data of their respective projects on the GOBARdhan Portal (https://gobardhan.eil.co.in/).
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation also monitors the community/cluster-based biogas plants established under SBM(G) as reported by States/UTs on the GOBARdhan portal, he said.
According to the operational guidelines of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] - Phase II, financial assistance of up to ₹50 lakh per district is available for the setting up of community/cluster-based biogas plants under the Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) scheme.
Under the SBM(G) - Phase II, consolidated funds (Central Share) are released to States/UTs for all components as per their approved Annual Implementation Plan and the overall budget availability for the scheme.
Under Information, Education and Communication (IEC), the respective States/UTs are also undertaking various interventions to raise awareness about this programme, the statement said.
MoPNG is also organizing workshops, seminars, and meetings on a regular basis across the country to raise awareness among entrepreneurs and farmers about the technical, financial, and operational aspects of CBG and to encourage the establishment of more CBG projects, said a statement.