Central govt urges Dairy Federations to join circular economy, biogas revolution

The Secretary for Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Alka Upadhyaya, has called on the dairy federations in India to join the circular economy, reduce carbon footprints and generate biofuels including biogas for sustainable development.

She was the chair of a meeting convened to review the ‘Milk Situation’ in the country in New Delhi. It was attended by representatives from National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) along with officials of DAHD and State Cooperative Dairy Federations Milk Unions across the country.

Secretary Alka Upadhyaya emphasized that India holds the top position globally in milk production, generating approximately 239.3 million metric tons in the year 2023-24.

It was held that dairy based biogas plants are giving a boost to the circular economy by promoting sustainable green fuel energy and producing organic fertilizers.

During the review, a presentation on Circular Economy was made by NDDB highlighting the interventions made in the area with respect to the dairy sector. In its presentation, NDDB demonstrated three models of bio gas generation namely the Zakariyapura Model (The Household level biogas-based Manure Value Chain model), the Banaskantha Model (Dung based large capacity biogas plant to produce Bio CBG and Organic Fertilizer) and the Varanasi Model (Dung based large capacity biogas plant to suffice Steam and Power needs of Dairy Plant).

Till date more than 27,000 household biogas plants have been installed in 19 states across the country under various schemes/ CSR initiatives/ through NDDB support etc. Two large capacity dung based CNG/Biogas plants with a total capacity of 140 MT/Day of dung are already operationalised and another 11 plants having a combined capacity of 675 MT/Day are under various stages of being taken up.

Further the Household biogas initiative has also helped in generating carbon credits for the Dairy cooperative sector. Under first such initiative, a total of 11,000 carbon credits have been earned by 1,040 farmers, giving boost to both farmer incomes and contributing to the aim of achieving circular economy.

The NDDB has signed an MOU with Suzuki R&D Centre to jointly design, develop, implement and scale up innovative business models to efficiently utilize cow dung as a source of energy for fuelling transportation needs and as a rich source of organic fertilizer while achieving carbon neutrality.

The DAHD Secretary advised the dairy federations to work on circular economy in the dairy sector and be proactively involved in getting the benefits in consultation with NDDB. She stated that during the Department’s upcoming conference on circularity in the Dairy sector, every State should come up with at least one project on Biogas to join the circularity movement.