Leaner and meaner biogas plants for Jhabua tribals soon

INDORE: In Jhabua, there will be a 'compressed biogas plant' virtually for each tribal house with an area of 1 cubic metre- approximately 1/100th smaller than conventional biogas plants.
Inspired by compressed biogas plants installed at Sangli in Maharashtra, the plant is in its testing stage in Jhabua and is expected to support one time cooking and four hours of lighting with its fuel per household using just 5kg of cow dung every day.
Professor Saurabh Maru, member of NGO Shivganga, which is executing project in Jhabua, told TOI, "These plants are small and majority households in Jhabua own bulls and cows, which leave them with large amount of dung everyday that can generate fuel."
Schematically, plant in shape of a tank needs to be fed minimum 5kg of cattle or kitchen waste which will decompose as methane gas that can be used by households for cooking and lighting purposes. Prof Maru said that as per their plan, one biogas plant will be set up for 3-4 households for which approximately 25 kg of waste will be required every day to support cooking and lighting of these households.
As installation work is soon to begin in Jhabua, tribals have welcomed the move. It will save them from hazardous emissions of carbon monoxide from conventional chullah and expensive LPG cylinders. Shreekant Patwardhan, engineer from Maharashtra who is installing plants in Jhabua, said, "1 cubic meter of biogas is half kg of LPG and can easily support a day's cooking."