Gobardhan scheme: It’s Purpose, Benefits and Features

What is Gobardhan scheme?

Gobardhan scheme plan was introduced by the government in 2018 as a national priority project.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said 500 new waste-to-wealth programmes under the Govardhan scheme were unveiled today to support a circular economy while presenting the Union Budget 2023.The Gobardhan project is centred on managing and turning solid farm waste, such as cattle dung, into compost, biogas, and bio-CNG. It not only keeps the community tidy, but it also gives farmers and livestock herders a boost in cash.

The GOBARdhan programme also aims to increase farmers’ independence in “waste to energy” conversion. To ensure the proper disposal of livestock and organic waste in each district, the Indian government offers technical help as well as financial support of up to 50 lakhs.

Purpose of Gobardhan Scheme

The program’s long-term goal is to assist villages in securely managing their organic, agricultural, and animal waste.
Create decentralised mechanisms that transform organic waste and livestock into profit for localities.
Reduce vector-borne illnesses and advance environmental cleanliness by properly disposing of garbage in rural regions.
Rural regions may benefit from the production of biogas and fertiliser from organic waste, particularly animal manure.
It is important to encourage rural entrepreneurs’ ability to create jobs and revenue.
To assist villages in efficiently managing their agricultural waste, livestock waste, and other organic waste
To assist communities in producing manure and energy from waste in order to turn their organic waste (particularly dung from animals) into wealth
To provide farmers and other rural residents with better means of subsistence and to increase their income by assisting them in turning trash into riches
Promoting rural entrepreneurship by incorporating business owners, SHGs, and youth organisations in the construction, management, and operation of biogas plants
enhancing environmental cleanliness and reducing vector-borne illnesses through efficient garbage removal in rural regions

Benefits of Gobardhan Scheme

supports environmental cleanliness and assists in handling a significant amount of solid waste in communities, such as cow manure and agricultural waste.
public health is enhanced and vector-borne illnesses are significantly reduced.
increases household income and savings since using biogas lowers LPG costs.
produces organic manure that improves farming and agricultural output.
encourages SHGs and farmer groups to pursue options for employment and revenue production.
reduces greenhouse gas emissions and encourages the sustainability of the environment.
reduces the need to import natural gas, helping to conserve foreign currency.

Present circumstances of Gobardhan Scheme

A total of 583 biogas plants have been erected, of which 507 have been established under the GOBARDhan programme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, 40 have been put under the SATAT scheme of the MoPNG, and the other 36 have been installed under the National Bioenergy Plan of the MNRE.
Around 2% of each state’s potential for bio-CNG generation has been realised in states like Gujarat and Haryana, with the remaining states Maharashtra (1.65%) and Punjab (1.14%) following.
There are six interactive maps with various data sets in total. To access all the information, the reader may switch between the maps using the drop-down menu or the arrows.

Out of 766 districts nationwide, 151 have biogas plants that are operational. This demonstrates that the Union government’s decision to support biogas technology is a very positive move. However, as we go, there are important issues that must be resolved.
The SATAT programme has 40 biogas units in all. The SATAT dashboard, however, only provides information on 26 plants.
In 18 of the 26 plants, Indian Oil Corporation Limited is responsible for the offtake of CBG. Seven of the 26 facilities sell gas to Gas Authority India Limited, while Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited purchases the CBG from one facility.

Publicity for the Gobardhan Scheme

To advance the circular economy, GOBARdhan (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) will build 500 new “waste to wealth” factories. These would consist of 200 compressed biogas (CBG) plants, 75 of which will be in metropolitan areas, and 300 community- or cluster-based plants, with a total investment of ‘10,000 crore. A 5% CBG mandate will apply to all businesses that commercialise natural gas and biogas. The distribution of bio-manure and the collecting of bio-mass will both receive the appropriate financial assistance.

Important Elements of the GOBAR-DHAN Programme

The program’s two primary goals in the 2018–19 budget are to clean up the villages and use organic waste from animals and other sources to produce more money and energy.

Cattle dung and farm waste will be transformed into compost, biogas, and bio-CNG under the GOBAR-DHAN programme.

In April, this programme is anticipated to begin. Its goal is to encourage business owners to create communities in clusters for the production of organic manure, biogas, and bio-CNG. These villages will gather and collect solid wastes, including animal dung.

Currently, there are plans to construct one cluster in each district, totaling about 700 clusters.

This is leading to the development of several business models that include both small- and large-scale activities across the whole bio-energy value chain.