KANCHANPUR: With the aim of promoting clean energy, the Belauri Municipality has installed biogas plants in 250 households this fiscal year.

Along with reducing firewood and LPG consumption for cooking, biogas plants have been installed to help protect the environment and improve health.

Municipality’s Deputy Mayor Jogram Chaudhary said that 14 percent of the total cost for the installation of the biogas plant was managed by the municipality, 13.66 percent by the beneficiaries, and 76 percent by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre.

Under the grant programme, biogas plants have been installed giving priority to farmers engaged in livestock farming.

According to the data provided by the municipality, 70 biogas plants have been installed at Ward No. 10, thirty-eight at Ward No. 1, twenty-eight at Ward No. 5, nineteen at Ward No. 7, eleven at Ward No. 4, ten at Ward No. 8, four at Ward No. 2, one at Ward No. 3, three at Ward No. 6, and three at Ward No. 9.
Last year, 28 biogas plants were installed at Ward No. 5.

Some farmers who have installed biogas plants have also set up toilets along with them. According to Deputy Mayor Chaudhary, the toilets were installed by the farmers at their own expense.

“Since biogas provides clean fuel necessary fuel for cooking, there will be less need to collect firewood from the forest. This not only helps in forest conservation but also saves women the time spent gathering firewood. Cooking on smokeless stoves reduces eye irritation, respiratory problems, and other health risks too,” he said.

Chaudhary stated that since the organic fertilizer produced from the biogas plant is used as handy alternative to chemical fertilizer, it also helps increase the production of vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Belauri Municipality has proposed a plan to expand biogas plants to more households engaged in livestock farming in the upcoming fiscal year also.