Bengal Govt, CMERI join hands to expand biogas projects across villages under GOBARdhan Scheme

The West Bengal Panchayat Department has partnered with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, to promote large-scale biogas projects and advance the Centre’s GOBARdhan initiative in rural areas.

Officials from the Panchayat Department and 14 South Bengal Zilla Parishads participated in a workshop aimed at exploring the deployment of biogas technology across villages.

West Bengal has a weak record in terms of biogas/CBG development in the state. Although, the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) has reported over 2.72 lakh family-size biogas units deployed across rural areas.

The workshop was chaired by Naresh Chandra Murmu, Director of CMERI, and Abida Sultana, Deputy Secretary, West Burdwan Zilla Parishad.

Murmu said greater adoption of biogas could help households reduce their dependence on LPG while providing access to cleaner energy. He added that the initiative would focus not only on technology transfer but also on creating greater awareness about its applications.

CMERI’s technology primarily uses cow dung to produce biogas. Under the GOBARdhan mission, the initiative also aims to convert kitchen and other organic waste into biogas and organic manure, creating opportunities for cleaner villages, renewable energy and rural employment.

The Supportive Role of CMERI

CMERI has already demonstrated the technology at its own residential colony, which has around 250 families and has emerged as a zero-waste model. Its integrated municipal solid waste disposal system can process nearly 100 kg of waste per hour, generate around 20 cubic metres of biogas daily for cooking and electricity, and produce briquettes from the resulting slurry.

The institute has also installed biogas plants across 21 districts. Officials said the technology could be adopted by hotels, markets, housing societies and other establishments.

CMERI provides the technology to MSMEs at a moderate cost, while a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy-backed project is underway to improve methane yields and accelerate biogas deployment.