Gaibandha: A model of successful biogas production, use

GAIBANDHA, Apr 28 (BSS): Low-cost biogas, an alternative fuel for cooking purpose, has become popular among the people in different areas of the district.
For the last couple of years biogas has been in use for cooking purpose and the slurry, the main effluent of the biogas plant, is used as organic fertiliser for boosting agricultural production.
People of the area, who had never thought of having gas for cooking purpose now use the same for full domestic purposes. Currently, around 31 rural families use biogas instead of firewood for cooking purpose.
Pourashava Mayor Md Shamsul Alam said biogas production through a combined waste management system here is an epoch-making initiative of the organisations working for improvement of urban and rural environment.
The Gaibandha Municipality, Practical Action, Bangladesh (PA,B) and Chhinnomul Mahila Samity have jointly been implementing the long-term project since 2011, he added.
He stressed the need for producing biogas from domestic wastes in a larger scale to eliminate energy problem and to check pollution.
A biogas plant can be set up by spending Tk 10,000 at each farm house that would help protect arable fields besides producing a large amount of compost fertiliser, said a survey.
The electricity produced from biogas would also meet the irrigation demand of the country, the survey revealed.
Biogas provides clean energy from organic wastes against a small labour input and it is a low-cost process.