Govt Holds Meaningful Talks with Compressed Biogas (CBG) Producers and Key Stakeholders

In a significant step to review progress and gather feedback on the progress of the GOBARdhan Initiative, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil held meaningful talks with Compressed Biogas (CBG) producers and key stakeholders of the sector.

The meeting signified the importance the Government attached to the GOBARdhan Initiative, which is aimed at transforming organic waste into valuable resources such as CBG and organic manure, says an official pressnote.

The event saw participation from multiple key stakeholders, including representatives from the various stakeholder Ministries/Departments, CBG operators and leading organisations in the sector. The interaction aimed at strengthening collaboration, addressing the challenges faced by CBG producers, and demonstrating the government's unwavering support for innovative and sustainable waste management solutions.

Addressing the gathering, Paatil thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision in conceptualising the GOBARdhan Initiative, which embodies Government's commitment to sustainable development and circular economy.

“By converting organic waste into valuable resources, we are not only protecting our environment, but also generating employment and promoting health and wellbeing. Our government is dedicated to supporting and advancing this crucial sector to achieve India's long-term environmental goals," the minister said.

During the interaction, CBG operators shared their challenges with the minister, particularly highlighting the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and the lack of a well-defined mechanism for promoting the system of trading in carbon credits in the CBG sector in the country.

The CBG industry talked about the excessive use of chemical fertilisers specifically drawing attention to the deficiency of carbon in the soil and the role of FOM (Fermented Organic Manure)/ LFOM (Liquid Fermented Organic Manure) in restoring this carbon balance.

They suggested that by promoting bio-fertilisers, this degradation in soil health could be restored. Accordingly, they sought more Farmer Educational Programmes in this regard as well as the possibility of bundling fertilisers.

The industry talked about the carbon credit system as being a substantial revenue earner for the sector and requested the Government to quickly establish mechanisms so that this fledgling sector could be further incentivised. This would not only support India's vision of achieving net zero but also enhance the economic viability of these projects.

The CBG industry appreciated the substantial work done in the sector by the Government and pointed out to the increasing number of people/entities who are now willing to enter this sector. They pointed out that the announcement in the Union Budget 2023-24 to establish 500 new waste-to-wealth plants was a major shot in the arm for GOBARdhan.

In furtherance of the same, presently 113 CBG plants are functional, with 667 plants in various stages of development and 171 plants under construction. There has been an impressive year on year growth in number of CBG units over the past few years, from only 19 functional CBG plants in 2020 to 113 functional CBG plants currently. Various policy enablers have been implemented to ensure the viability and growth of these plants, promoting a circular economy and sustainable development.

The Minister thanked the CBG stakeholders for their inputs and assured the gathering that the Government would ensure that this sector would develop and soon become a sunrise sector for the economy.