PROMOTION AND IMPEMENTATION OF BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY IN INDIA

 India took a big leap foreword in the promotion of renewable energy, especially the two most appropriate rural based technologies, namely, biogas and smokeless & efficient biomass stoves, but other RETs though have large potentials are yet to make any significant dent and impact in terms of reach and acceptability in Indian villages. 

 The systematic development and promotion of household (Hh) biogas technology programme is over 60 years old in India. The demonstration and limited extension phase of Hh biogas plants was first initiated in India by KVIC, using their floating steel gas holder model, in 1960. However, the implementation of Hh plants got impetus in India, only after the Ministry of Non-Conventional Sources of Energy (MNES- earlier known as DNES), Govt. of India, launched a centrally sponsored scheme, known as National Project on Biogas Development (NPBD), in 1981-82. 

With the Multi-Model and Multi-Agency approach adopted under the NPBD, in which NGOs also played constructive role, India has achieved massive target of approximately 3 million household biogas plants, which has also ensured wider coverage throughout the country. Though it is still a drop in the ocean when considering the revised potential (in year 2000) of 20 million Hh plants, and the present rate of implementation of 150,000 units per year, it could take 75-100 years to realize this potential. 

 A few pilot and regular projects implement large size community or village level, biogas plants were launched in India for domestic (cooking & lighting) of village community, as well as for generation of village level electrical power to meet essential needs of individual and community. However, except for a few successes, by and large, the majority of such schemes was not so successful and could not sustained themselves. 

 In the above backdrop, the development and promotion of low cost, Hh biogas plants by an NGO network (now members of INSEDA) in India and the lessons learned for empowering rural people in general and women in particular is of great significance. 

EXPERIENCE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF HOUSEHOLD BIOGAS PLANTS AND OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY BY INSEDA’S NGO NETWORK

 The Integrated Sustainable Energy and Ecological Development Association (INSEDA) is the Nodal Agency for the implementation  of this project. INSEDA is a national organization formed by Indian NGOs involved in the promotion of renewable energy programmes, since 1980. It is a membership organization at present having over 75 members who are operating in almost all the states of India. The member organizations had been operating as an informal network for more than 15 years before establishing INSEDA as a formal body, registered as a society on December 11, 1995, with national headquarters in Delhi. The main focus of INSEDA is the development and promotion of sustainable rural energy and renewable energy based sustainable village development (SVD) with active participation of target groups to promote eco-friendly and environmentally sound sustainable human development (SHD). The INSEDA members/partners have deeper commitments to the promotion of low cost affordable renewal energy technologies as well as environmentally friendly ecological development, and have a fairly well developed infrastructure at the grassroots level to implement such projects/programmes. This common interest and goal binds the member NGOs together. 

 Role played and achievements in promotion & implementation of biogas and other renewable energy technologies by this NGO Network (now members of INSEDA) for over 2 decades have been divided in five major stages, as summarized below: