Lifestyle changes in villages across the Krishna district has hit the implementation of the National Project on Biogas Development and Manure Management Programme of the NREDCAP (New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh), a State-owned Corporation for implementation of various renewable energy programmes.
The NREDCAP, which is also the designated agency for the implementation of the Energy Conservation Act 2001 for Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India, successfully motivated a sizeable population in the rural pockets across the district for setting up eco-friendly individual biogas plants.
In 2007-08, as many as 714 plants were installed across villages in the district while the number of biogas plants grounded dwindled to 655 in 2008-09.
In the next year (2009-10), the number of units launched rose to 786 and further to 804 in 2010-11.
Thereafter, the department recorded a declining trend with a drastic fall in the number of families opting for installation of biogas plants. In 2011-12, it could motivate not more than 500 families for installation of the biogas plants and in the current year (2012-13), 168 units have been launched against the given target of 300 units.
“The spherical type fixed-dome biogas plant is easy to maintain. They are designed to ensure that not an iota of energy is wasted when working with waste. The plant merges the digestion and gas storage spaces to a single dimension, making their construction far easier. It also minimises the surface area for a given volume, thereby reducing cost while increasing the gas production rate. Designed for high efficiency and low maintenance, the biogas plant easily meets the cooking gas needs of a family,” NREDCAP Krishna District Manager K. Srinivas Rao said on Saturday.
“Unlike in the past when cattle-rearing was a way of life and availability of cow dung aplenty, individual cattle holding pattern is fast diminishing,” he pointed out. The fact that trained masons engaged in construction of the gas plants started moving to West Bengal for higher remunerations also had its impact on the declining trend, he informed.
Among several other advantages, a biogas plant can help the beneficiary save the money spent on purchase of LPG cylinder, paves the way for a smokeless kitchen, improves sanitation and spares the burden of recurring cost on maintenance of the plant.
