Context

• Zakariapura village in Anand, Gujarat has become a model for other Indian villages by adopting small-scale biogas facilities in every household keeping milch cattle.

Key Points

• This initiative began in 2019 with the National Dairy Development Board introducing village women to flexible biogas units.
• Now, the village has a sustainable biogas network which provides financial benefits.
• In a typical biogas facility, cow dung undergoes anaerobic (absence of oxygen) digestion by bacteria with the help of conventional technology, thereby producing biogas.
• It contains 50-55 percent methane and 30-35 percent carbon dioxide. Along with this, a small amount of hydrogen sulphide and moisture is also produced.
• This gas acts as a direct cooking fuel, effectively replacing traditional sources such as wood and fossil fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
• These flexible biogas plants are easy to install and can be set up quickly.
• Moreover these are portable, demand minimum maintenance and are more cost effective than conventional biogas digesters.

Benefits

• The implementation of these plants has yielded many economic, environmental and social benefits.
• Each biogas plant produces gas equivalent to approximately two LPG bottles per month, which is enough to meet the cooking needs of a family of five three times a day.
• Each plant produces slurry, which is either sold for processing or used as organic fertiliser in its fields.
• It is noteworthy that the biogas system helps families save between Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 per month.
• This innovation has also relieved women of the burden of collecting firewood and dealing with soot in their homes and utensils, enabling them to devote their time to other activities such as sewing, embroidery and educating their children.
• The initiative in Anand, known as the dairy hub of India, could serve as a catalyst for another 'white revolution', which would focus on the use of animal waste instead of just milk.
• Based on the success of this model, NDDB plans to replicate it at 11 other locations across India.

Benefits the country will receive in future by adopting this model

• Can prove helpful in achieving SDG targets.
• Helpful in reducing gender inequality
• livestock manure management
• Reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Organic waste management
• Pollution free cities etc.

What is biogas?

• Biogas mainly consists of hydro-carbon, which is combustible and can produce heat and energy when burnt.
• Biogas is produced through a biochemical process, in which certain types of bacteria convert organic waste into useful bio-gas.
• Methane gas is the main component of biogas.