GOBARDhan Scheme: A Holistic Approach Towards Crop Residue Management in India

Table of Content

• Introduction
• Understanding the Problem
• The Genesis of the GOBARDhan Scheme
• Objectives of the GOBARDhan Scheme
• Key Components of the GOBARDhan Scheme
• Transformative Impact of the GOBARDhan Scheme
• Challenges and the Way Forward
• Final Thoughts

Introduction

Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy for a long time. The way farming is done in India has changed a lot, but dealing with leftover crop parts after harvesting is still a big problem. After harvesting, a lot of leftover stuff is left behind, causing problems like pollution and harming the soil. To tackle this, the Indian government has started the GOBARDhan Scheme. This plan aims to turn the leftover crop parts into useful things.

In this blog, we'll take a closer look at the GOBARDhan Scheme—what it's trying to achieve, its main parts, and how it plans to make a positive difference in managing leftover crop parts in the country.

Understanding the Problem

In India, dealing with leftover parts of crops is a big challenge every year because we have many ways of farming. The usual methods of getting rid of these leftover parts, like burning them, are bad for the environment, the air we breathe, and the health of the soil. When leftover crop parts are burned, it puts harmful stuff in the air, making the air dirty and harmful to people. Also, if we want to put the leftover crop parts directly back into the soil, special machines are needed, and it takes a while for them to break down, which can affect the next round of crops.

The Genesis of the GOBARDhan Scheme

To solve the problem of leftover crop parts in a good and lasting way, the Government of India started the GOBARDhan Scheme as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen. This scheme, which began in April 2018, aims to do a few important things at the same time. This scheme promotes the creation of wealth from waste, makes rural areas cleaner, and encourages farming that lasts a long time without hurting the environment.

Objectives of the GOBARDhan Scheme

The GOBARDhan Scheme is designed with the following key objectives:

• Waste to Wealth: The main goal is to change leftover crop parts into valuable things like biogas, bio-CNG, and natural fertiliser. It helps farmers make money from something they used to throw away.
• Rural Sanitation: The scheme encourages setting up biogas plants in villages, which helps keep villages cleaner. Biogas, made from leftover crops, can be used for cooking and lighting in rural homes.
• Environmental Conservation: The scheme wants to stop the practice of burning leftover crops, which harms the air and soil. Changing leftover crops into biogas also helps reduce harmful gas emissions.
• Energy Independence: The scheme supports using bio-CNG, a clean fuel for vehicles. It not only reduces the need for fossil fuels but also supports sustainable and eco-friendly energy.

Key Components of the GOBARDhan Scheme

1. Community Biogas Plants

Objective: Create biogas from leftover crops by building biogas plants in communities.

Implementation: The scheme encourages the setting up of biogas plants at the gram panchayat or community level, promoting everyone working together.

2. Bio-CNG Production

Objective: Utilising the biogas generated from crop residue for the production of compressed biogas (bio-CNG).

Implementation: The captured biogas is purified to remove impurities, producing bio-CNG, which is an eco-friendly alternative to regular fuels.

3. Bio-Fertilizer Production

Objective: Use the leftover material from the biogas plant to make organic manure.

Implementation: Process the nutrient-rich leftover material into bio-fertiliser, giving farmers a natural and affordable option instead of chemical fertilisers.

4. Demonstration and Training Centers

Objective: Building awareness and providing training on the implementation of the GOBARDhan Scheme.

Implementation: Demonstration and training centres are set up to showcase the various components of the scheme, including the operation and benefits of biogas plants.

5. Market Linkages

Objective: Creating linkages between the producers of bio-CNG and potential consumers, such as the transportation sector.

Implementation: The scheme facilitates the marketing and sale of bio-CNG to encourage its adoption as a clean and sustainable fuel.

Transformative Impact of the GOBARDhan Scheme

• Economic Empowerment of Farmers: The scheme turns crop residue, previously considered waste, into a valuable resource that generates income for farmers through the production of bio-CNG, bio-fertiliser, and other byproducts.
• Improved Rural Sanitation: Community biogas plants make villages cleaner by providing a new way to cook without using a lot of wood, which makes the air inside houses better.
• Reduced Air Pollution: By stopping the burning of leftover crops, the plan helps make the air cleaner by reducing the bad things released when crops burn in the open.
• Enhanced Soil Health: The fertiliser made from biogas plants' leftover material makes the soil better for growing things and helps farmers do more sustainable farming.
• Sustainable Energy Solutions: Making and using bio-CNG, a clean fuel, helps India use cleaner and more eco-friendly energy, moving away from things like coal and oil.

Challenges and the Way Forward

While the GOBARDhan Scheme presents a good plan for managing leftover crops, there are some challenges to make it work well:

• Awareness and Adoption: Farmers need to know about the plan and like it, so spreading the word and making sure farmers use it is important.
• Infrastructure Development: Making the things needed for the plan, like biogas plants and places to get bio-CNG, needs careful planning and money.
• Financial Incentives: Giving farmers money to start using the scheme can make more people join and use it.
• Policy Support: Making sure there are good rules that support making and using bio-CNG is important to help the plan succeed.
• Technology Standardisation: Making sure everyone uses the same technology for making bio-CNG and bio-fertilisers will make things easier and more consistent.

Final Thoughts

The GOBARDhan Scheme is like a guide for making things better in farming and villages. It helps deal with problems like leftover crops, keeping villages clean, and using clean energy. The plan changes leftover crops into useful things and encourages good practices for the environment. As more people start using the GOBARDhan Scheme, it will make a big difference in making farming cleaner, greener, and better for everyone.