The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Unified Registration Portal for GOBARdhan which will act as a one stop repository to assess investment and participation in Biogas/CBG sector at pan India level and more importantly streamline the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in India. Any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to setup a Biogas/CBG/Bio CNG plant in India can obtain a registration number by enrolling in this unified registration portal launched today. The registration number will enable availing of multitude of benefits and support from the Ministries & Departments of Government of India. States have been advised to get their CBG/Biogas plant operators registered on the portal on priority to avail existing and upcoming support from the Union Government.

Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) is a vital umbrella initiative of Government of India, based on the whole of Government approach and aims to convert waste to wealth towards promoting circular economy. Government of India intends to build a robust ecosystem for setting up Biogas/Compressed Biogas (CBG)/ Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants to drive sustainable economic growth and promote a circular economy. As the nodal department for GOBARdhan, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti has developed this portal, which can be accessed at https://gobardhan.co.in. The launch was attended, in virtual mode, by Additional Chief Secretaries/Principal Secretaries (In charge of rural sanitation) of all States/UTs and representation of various central Ministries and Departments.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that this Unified Registration Portal of GOBARdhan is a perfect example of Cooperative Federalism as the stakeholder Central Ministries, all line departments of Centre and States have come together in development and deployment of the portal. He stated, “Our visionary Prime Minister gave us the responsibility of ensuring ‘waste to wealth’ to which effect we launched the GOBARdhan initiative. With more than 650 GOBARdhan plants and this portal, we have made significant achievement in our waste to wealth generation journey”. The Union Minister further said that the portal will not only ensure Ease of Doing Business (EODB) but with aggregated data from all Ministries & Departments across Centre and States, the initiative will also attract greater investment from the private players. “I hope and urge everyone present here today that we must continue our concreted efforts to ensure faster pace and progress of outcomes – ‘gati aur pragati’ of the GOBARdhan initiative”, he added. Sh. Shekhawat highlighted that registering of new projects on the portal is a pre-requisite to avail any benefit/support of GoI schemes and programs (GOBARdhan related) and in that context he urged all private operators as well as Government stakeholders to register at the earliest on this Unified Registration Portal.Sh. Shekhawat concluded his address by congratulating all the Officers and stakeholders for all their efforts towards developing the portal.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ms. Vini Mahajan said that the Portal was the result of extensive consultative process among all stakeholder Ministries. She informed that the Portal was made live to all States, Ministries and Line Departments for dry run, to sort all technical issues. The CBG Producers Association was also made to test and explore the functioning of the portal. Ms. Mahajan added that the Portal displays information on both existing as well as proposed GOBARdhan projects and will be a valuable tool for investors as well as entrepreneurs of the sector.

Sh. Jitendra Srivastava, JS&MD, SBM(G) & GOBARdhan informed that as on date, more than 650 GOBARdhan plants have been reported by different stakeholders. He added that the portal is available in the public domain to ensure transparency as well as making data available for research and related purposes.

The objective of GOBARdhan is to generate wealth and energy by converting cattle dung, agri residue and other organic waste into Biogas, CBG and bio fertilizers. This initiative comprises the entire gamut of schemes, programmes, policies promoting the conversion of organic waste like cattle dung, agri-residue etc. to biogas/CBG/Bio CNG. It encompasses schemes/programmes under various Ministries & Departments viz. Waste to Energy Scheme of M/o New and Renewable Energy, SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme of M/o Petroleum and Natural Gas, SBM(G) Phase II of DDWS, Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) of Dept. of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) of Dept. of Animal Husbandry & Dairy. GOBARdhan is being implemented in partnership with State Governments and Private Sector including entrepreneurs, societies etc. Any plant/project producing CBG/Biogas (more than 10 cuM/day) and bio slurry as principal outputs is eligible to be under the ambit of GOBARdhan.

GOBARdhan initiative is envisioned to contribute significantly towards reaching India’s climate action goals particularly achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. With the highest livestock population in the world, India produces vast amounts of animal waste. CBG/Biogas sector can play a crucial role in India’s energy transition, ensuring energy security and affordability, enhancing entrepreneurship, providing rural employment, and boosting local economies. Transitioning to CBG/Biogas can contribute to job creation for semi-skilled and skilled labor in multiple areas viz. waste collection, operations, construction etc. It will benefit rural people in general and women in particular from the use of clean fuel, improved cleanliness in villages and consequent improvement in health outcomes (through decreased incidence of vector borne and respiratory diseases). Initiative will also augment nation’s efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) viz. SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable & Clean energy, SDG 13: Climate Action; amongst others. Further, the initiative contributes significantly towards circular economy, and Govt.  of India’s Mission LiFE.

It encompasses schemes/programmes under various Ministries & Departments viz. Waste to Energy Scheme of M/o New and Renewable Energy, SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme of M/o Petroleum and Natural Gas, SBM(G) Phase II of DDWS, Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) of Dept. of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) of Dept. of Animal Husbandry & Dairy. Other stakeholder Ministries are M/o Housing and Urban Affairs, D/o Agriculture Research and Education, D/o Rural Development, D/o Fertilizers, M/o Environment Forest and Climate Change, D/o Science and Technology, M/o Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

The Union Government is firmly committed in its endeavor to build a robust CBG/Biogas policy ecosystem in India. Few initiatives which are in the pipeline, aim to strengthen CBG/Biogas supply chain with special thrust on aggregation of biomass, grid pipeline connectivity, enabling organic farming practices, supporting Research & Development and constant engagement across CBG/Biogas stakeholders.

*****

AS