The thrust of the national biogas programme has been on
construction of plants, conversion
of plants from Bhagyalakshmi to Janatha in Karnataka and to a
lesser extent on Research
and Development but again on the model and structure. Briefly, the
focus has been and
continues to remain on the plant. We do not look around the dome.
Yet if we do not take
into account the inter relationships of the plant with other
systems in the village, we
will not succeed in using the plant as effectively as possible and
in making it possible for even
the marginal farmer to install and maintain a plant.
The biogas plant is not an
isolated entity it is an integral part of the home and of the village; it relates to the
stabling of cattle and other animals often in different locations depending on the time of day
and night, the position of the stable, the floor of the stable, the sanitary conditions around
the house the attitude of women towards the plant etc.,
Secondly, though not
directly part of an anti-poverty programme, the use of biogas for domestic purposes, does have a
significant impact on the poor. Thirty years ago in the village
around Bangalore, big farmers often used sandal wood for cooking;
the fragrance filled
the home in the evening; today these same farmers cook with farm
waste (including mulberry
stems) which the poor had ready access to formerly. As a
consequence the poor have
to search for other fuels; they have been forced to use shrubs,
paper, industrial waste
and to walk long distance to collect even these.
Thirdly, resources,
especially fuel of different types are scarce and even where they
are not scarce like in
villages around forests, they have to be conserved if we want our environment to regenerate. In
any case there is no running away from utilising our resources
as efficiently as possible. Not to do so would be a criminal waste
and an increasing
burden both we and our children would have to bear. The efficient
use of dung therefore
as well as the installation of small, efficient and low cost
plants is a priority. But
unfortunately there is a tendency and a strong one to install
biogas plants of larger sizes
irrespective of costs. Financing institutions are not particularly
concerned with the number
of plants they have loaned for but what is the total amount of
funds for biogas. Depending
on the size of the plants, one could have 25 plants for Rs.1 lakh
(1 cum size plant costs Rs. 4,000) or 7 plants of Rs.1 lakh (since several, models and
larger sizes cost around Rs. 15,000 a unit). Are we
justified in a situation of scarce resources in making a choice for 7 plants against 25 for
the same amount? Finally,
with the cooking made, cleaner, easier, faster and smokeless,
women are the motivators
for proper maintenance of the plant; adequate stress, therefore,
should be given to
elicit their participation in the siting and size of the plant. MYRADA has not concentrated on
constructing plants only. Its biogas programme during the
past 4 years has had the following objectives:
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To assist the landless
and the marginal farmers provided they have no adequate number of animals to
harness and utilise waste as effectively as possible.
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To reduce the cost of
the plant and the size, so that among other benefits the total cost is kept as low
as possible and the size is related to the small number of animals that a marginal
farmer has.
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To organize a system of
credit flow in order to make funds available when necessary.
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To reduce the overall
loan amount only for the marginal and small farmers.
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To establish
institutions of masons to maintain these plants and who in
turn be entitled to
the turnkey fee
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To involve women in the
siting, size and use of the plant. MYRADA has not been equally
successful in these areas; but in some of them certain
significant developments
have occurred which should be shared by all our other projects
and programmes.
After constructing over
1,000 biogas plants (Janatha and Deenabandhu 2 cum and 3 cum) we
made an analysis which indicated the following:-
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Most of the plants
constructed were for large farmers or small farmers with irrigation facilities.
Very few of the 38,000 target group families with whom MYRADA
works benefited from the biogas programme even though several
of them especially
in the H.D.Kote and Talavadi areas owned scrub cattle, sheep
and even one or two
cross bred cows (50% exotic) produced through our animal
husbandry programme.
The reasons were the following:
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the family could not
afford a loan of Rs. 2,500 for a 2 cum plant.
-
even those who had
opted for a loan and subsidy found that the cash flow
was erratic and created problems; funds had to be advanced
in most cases
till loans and subsidies came in. For example in H.D.Kote project out of the 204
plants commissioned, only 75 had received loans
and subsidies as on February 1, 1989.
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They did not have
adequate number of cattle to feed a 2 cum plant and therefore wanted one of a smaller
size.
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Dung and urine were not
collected efficiently; much of it was wasted even when the
animals were stalled in
the shed or around the house.
-
Recoveries on the loans
were irregular.
On the other hand, it was this group of families who were
affected most by the increasing shortage
and rising costs of fuel, and by the greater effort and time
required to collect fuel
requirements. These problems were discussed in the sanghas
(socially functional groups)
in one of our projects where the poor had scrub cattle and sheep -
namely H.D.Kote and the
following suggestions emerged from the people:
-
The sanghas decided to
identify its members who were interested in having a plant and had an adequate number
of animals. It would also ensure that recoveries were made.
-
A smaller size plant
should be constructed. (We decided to try a plant of 1 cum of the Janatha or Deenabandhu
models)
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Some degree of financial
support should be arranged to reduce the loan burden which
was too high for a marginal farmer who
would be able to save at most between Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 a month which was spent on firewood.
After several
meetings between our staff, Government and the people we decided
to put up a few pilot
plants in November 1987 of 1 cum since there was scepticism in
some quarters regarding
the viability of these plants. The cost of a 1 cum Janatha plant
in November 1987 was
Rs.2,900/- (in December 1988 it was Rs. 3,450). The cost of 1 cum Deenabandhu in December 1980
was Rs. 3,100 within 13 months 204 plants of 1 cum were constructed
in H.D.Kote project. But it was not enough to bring down the size
of the plant; we also
tried to respect to the other suggestions of the sanghas regarding
the loan burden which
was too high for the marginal farmers and erratic cash flow.
A gas company came forward
to provide a grant to increase the subsidy to poor families opting for and able to manage
a biogas plant. The subsidy on a 1 cum plant for the target group was increased by Rs.
1,000/- thus bringing the total subsidy to Rs. 2,250/- (December
1987) Since the total cost of the plant was Rs. 3,450/- (December
1987) the loan was
reduced to Rs. 1,000/-. The remaining amount of Rs. 200/- was
contributed by the
beneficiary mainly in the form of labour.
Besides reducing
the loan burden, thus grant also enabled the project to purchase
bricks (manufactured by
the sanghas) and cement in large quantities, thus reducing costs
and ensuring a steady
flow of inputs. Since there was a time lag between commissioning
of the plants and the
release of subsidies and consequently of loans this arrangement
was mainly responsible
to ensure that the momentum of the programme was not reduced due
to obstruction in the
flow of funds.
As a consequence of this
package, 204 plants have been commissioned in the H.D.Kote project
area within a period of 13 months. This compares favourably with
an achievement of 60 plants in 2 1/2 years when delays were due to
the erratic fund flow and the reluctance
of the family to take on a large loan. Besides all these 204
plants have gone to the
target group families.
The Sanghas have taken over
the responsibility of recovering loans; out of 75 plants which have received loans amounting
to Rs. 75,000/- already an amount of Rs. 12,400 has been recovered
which is within the schedule of repayments.
But the programme had to go
further. These families do not have many animals; every effort
therefore, was required to collect as much dung and urine as
possible. (So far no family
has come forward to connect the latrines to the biogas digester
and no attempts have
been made to fund substitutes mainly because the confidence in the
biogas plant was severely
eroded as a result of the failure of the Bhagyalakshmi model and
no further risk could
be taken at this time).
Several families therefore
decided to take the following measures:-
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To use granite slabs for
the floor of the stable instead of mud and provide proper drainage so that all the
night droppings could be channelled directly into the intake chamber of the biogas
plant or into a stone lined pit from where it could be transferred
to the intake chamber.
-
To stable animals during
the day in an area where droppings would not be unduly wasted
due to presence of sand/mud or movement of carts etc.
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To utilise droppings of
sheep, goats and silk worms.
This aspect of proper
management of animal waste received a filling in the context of
the public sanitation
programmes which several villages were motivated to undertake and which they carried out
successfully.
Masons Societies -
another area in which volags could provide support is in the
formation of masons
societies. In keeping with the volag mission to form Local Level
Institutions which are
functional and can generate adequate income, volags should
endeavour to form these masons societies which would
then receive the turn key fee. This approach would assist
in decentralising the service support required for such a spread
out programme. In one
such experiment, we have 15 masons in a society. Each saves Rs.
35/- monthly which goes
into a common account. When a mason has no work he can borrow up
to Rs. 100 from the
society; the interest is fixed by the society. The masons in these
societies should have
adequate experience to construct plants on their own, they should
be accepted by the others
as members and abide by the terms and conditions set up by the
society. To enable this
masons society to build up a common fund, it receives the turnkey
fee.
The biogas programme
therefore can be used as a tool to trigger off a process
which goes beyond
the objective of providing a system that uses energy more
efficiently. It can trigger
off community action for public sanitation, help to build small
self help groups of masons,
motivate families to manage waste more efficiently, give women a
bigger role in management.
All this is possible if volags are prepared to look around the
dome and not restrict
their activity to the structure.
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