Mahendragarh’s first biogas plant to come up in Katkai village

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, November 3

The district’s first fixed dome-type biogas plant will be set up in Katkai village under the Gobardhan scheme in order to keep the village clean and to provide a substitute for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The District Swachh Bharat Mission Management Committee has accorded administrative approval for this project. “The project will be completed under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and biogas will be supplied through pipeline. At least 200 households will be provided connection in the first phase. The remaining will be covered in the second phase. The main products of the project will be biogas, vermicompost and slurry,” said Ajay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner.

He maintained biogas is a clean and efficient fuel. It is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.

The chief constituent is methane (65 per cent). There are two types of biogas plants — fixed dome-type and floating-type. Generally, fixed dome type is more successful, Ajay Kumar added.

“Raw biogas has methane concentration of 50 to 65 per cent and can be directly utilised as a substitute for LPG. Slurry can be directly used as fertiliser or can be converted into vermicompost which has very high nutrient value. There is a proposal to utilise some part of slurry as fertiliser and the rest will be converted to vermicompost,” said the DC.

Kumar said the Gobardhan scheme was aimed not only to keep villages clean through solid waste management but also to increase rural income and jobs. Women self-help groups would manage the day-to-day operations of biogas plants.

Distribution through pipeline

• Biogas will be supplied through pipeline. The main products of the project will be biogas, vermicompost and slurry
• 200 households will be given gas connection in the first phase. The remaining houses will be covered in the second phase