National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) - Benefits, Targets, Achievements

National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) is a Government of India scheme that gives provisions for setting up family type biogas plant with the intention of providing biogas as a source of clean cooking fuel and as a source of lighting in rural and semi-urban areas of India. This article gives an overview of NBMMP program.

Aspirants would find this topic very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam.

Biogas Plants – How is the Energy Generated?

The biogas plants can generate biogas from organic substances like cattle dung, night soil wastes, and biomass from the kitchen, garden, farms and other such bio-degradable materials. The biogas is generated through a process called anaerobic digestion (AD).

Biogas Plants – Implementation

The programme is being implemented in all the states and Union Territories by the Ministry of New and Renewable energy by the State Nodal Departments/ State Nodal Agencies and Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Biogas Development and Training Centers (BDTCs).

Biogas Plants – Benefits

1. For the households that have feed material, Biogas plant is the best option to become self-dependent for highly organic, enriched bio-manure and cooking gas.
2. Setting up a biogas plant provides the solution to protect the households from the ill effects of indoor air pollution and at the same time, save on the cost of refilling of LPG cylinders.
3. The slurry produced from biogas plants can be used as an organic bio-manure for improving the crop yield. It also helps in maintaining soil health, thus enhancing productivity.
4. Social benefits to rural families by reducing the drudgery of women involved in collecting fuelwood and mitigating health hazards during cooking in smoky kitchens.
5. Sanitation can be improved in villages by linking sanitary toilets with biogas plants.
6. Helps in reducing environmental degradation and preventing the emissions of Green House Gases (GHGs) such as Methane and Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere.
7. By setting up of biogas plants, the family can save on the cost of refilling the LPG cylinder, cost of production from the reduced need of fertilizers like urea and equivalent etc. Thus proving it to be economically beneficial to the households.

Biogas Plants – Targets and Achievements

A target has recently been set up by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for setting up of 65,180 biogas plants for the year 2017-18, under the National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP). The Ministry provides the subsidy for family type biogas plants. Since the inception of the program, as of March 2018, around 49.5 lakh biogas plants have been installed.

The above details would help candidates prepare for UPSC 2021.

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