Subsidy for setting up biogas plant using stubble proving inadequate

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, November 19

Even after the wait for six long years, the subsidy approved for the setting up of dry fermentation biogas plant using paddy straw developed by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is proving meagre.

23 cases today

• Today, as many as 23 cases of stubble burning were reported from Ludhiana district which has taken the total number of cases to 1,743. The average AQI of Ludhiana as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board was 237

Costly affair

The cost of setting up of this biogas plant is Rs 3 lakh, but the subsidy that farmer will get is only Rs 20,000-22,000, which is proving inadequate. — Dr Sarbjit Singh Sooch, Scientist, PAU

This year in July after six years, PAU’s dry fermentation biogas plant (stubble-based) was approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), New Delhi.

After the approval of the design of this biogas plant, will be considered for the benefit under the biogas programme of MNRE, which is a nodal agency of the Centre for the implementation of renewable energy technologies at the national level.

“The cost of setting up of this biogas plant of Rs 3 lakh but the subsidy that the farmer will get is only Rs 20,000-22,000, which is proving inadequate. The subsidy is given according to the capacity of the biogas plant but the cost of setting up this plant is little high. The government should consider giving atleast 80 per cent subsidy so that it is widely accepted by the farmers,” said Dr Sarbjit Singh Sooch, Principal Scientist, Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, PAU.

Explaining the technology, Dr Sooch said, “This process of dry fermentation is a batch process. Once the digester is loaded and activated, it would produce sufficient gas for a period of three months. With the installation of these biogas plants, a large quantity of paddy straw can be consumed for biogas production. The specialty of this biogas plant is that daily feeding of cattle dung is not required. So, the beneficiary having no cattle can install such biogas plant.”

Sehbajpur farmer

sets example

Farmer Ajmer Singh from Sehbajpur village in Raikot block has successfully installed biogas plant at his home. There are three members in Ajmer Singh’s family and they are using clean cooking fuel and organic compost for their fields.

“Environment is very precious and we need to conserve it. I have not burnt the paddy stubble from the past four years and using it in producing fuel and neither have I used pesticides in my fields and instead use paddy straw for the nutrient demand of the crops,” he said.

This biogas plant is filled one time with 16 quintal chopped paddy straw along with 4-5 quintal cattle dung and it provides 3-4 m3 biogas daily. We need to refill the digester only after a year and after emptying it completely, this slurry is used as organic manure in the fields.

“We are using straw and not causing any harm to the environment and in addition to this we get biogas and manure at our doorsteps. Farmers should take such environmental friendly steps to preserve our environment,” he said.

#Punjab Agricultural University PAU