GOBARdhan Scheme

Why is in news? SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference to be held on December 1

In order to accelerate Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector through cross-sectoral linkages and promote dialogue and knowledge exchange among all stakeholders, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is organising a conference ‘SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference: Accelerating Waste to Wealth & Circular Economy’ here on 1st December, 2023. The conference is in partnership with GIZ, Circular Waste Solutions and UNIDO.

As per Budget 2023, 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants under GOBARdhan scheme will be established for promoting circular economy.

These will include 200 compressed biogas plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants a total investment of Rs 10,000 crore. Indore, Pune, Ambala, Chennai, Varanasi, Surat, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad all boast of operational CBG Plants, whereas Solapur, Goa, Nashik, Vijaywada, Hyderabad and Bhopal have Waste to Electricity plants

On August 1, 2023, Prime Minister inaugurated the 'Waste to Energy' plant in Moshi. This plant in Pimpri Chinchwad has a capacity to generate 14 MW electricity per day, utilizing 700 tons per day (TPD) of dry waste.

The largest Bio-CNG plant in Asia, located in Indore, stands as a pioneering effort in converting wet waste into Bio-CNG.

With a processing capacity of 550 metric TPD, the Bio-CNG plant has the capability to produce 17,000 kg of biogas and 100 tonnes of high-quality compost daily.

The Bowenpally Vegetable Market in Hyderabad has gained prominence for its innovative project that generates bioelectricity, biofuel, and biomanure. Each day, the market collects nearly 10 tons of waste that would otherwise contribute to landfills.

About the scheme:

Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan, is a crucial umbrella initiative of the Government of India.

The government launched the Gobardhan scheme in 2018 as a national priority project under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase II program.

The Nodal Ministry is the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

India aims for net-zero emissions by 2070 as per Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in which waste to biogas is expected to play a crucial role.

Aim:

To generate wealth and energy by converting cattle dung, agricultural residue, and other organic waste into Biogas, CBG and bio-fertilizers.

It adopts a whole-of-government approach and aims to convert waste into wealth, thereby promoting a circular economy.

Gobardhan portal:

It serves as a centralized repository for assessing investment and participation in the Biogas/CBG (Compressed Biogas) sector at a pan-India level.

Primary objective: To streamline the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in the country.

It allows any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to set up a Biogas/CBG/Bio-CNGin India to obtain a registration number by enrolling in the portal.

This registration number will enable them to avail a multitude of benefits and support from the Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.