In a step towards promoting clean and affordable fuel in rural Haryana, Rohtak district’s first community biogas plant has been set up at a gaushala in Kharawar village of Rohtak with 80 households receiving gas connections in the first phase.
Developed under the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission initiative through the Zila Parishad, the plant is expected to provide cooking gas to economically weaker households at rates considerably lower than LPG. Under this project a pipeline network stretching around 2.5 km has been laid to supply biogas from the gaushala to households in the village.
The project, initiated nearly three years ago, faced several hurdles and controversies but has now reached the implementation stage. Trial runs have also been conducted, with biogas being used to light cooking stoves in beneficiary households.
According to Rohtak Zila Parishad chairperson Manju Hooda, the project will be made operational within one week as trials have already been completed according to safety norms.
She said that if successful, this plant will be expanded according to the availability of cow-dung. She said that the plant had been developed at an estimated cost of around ₹67 lakh. According to the officials, the plant has been designed to produce around 400 cubic metres of gas daily and requires approximately 10,000 kg (10 tonnes) of solid feedstock every day. Cow dung is supplied to the plant, with tractor-trolleys carrying the material being fed into its tanks at intervals of three to four days.
Besides cooking gas, the facility is expected to generate around 20,000 litres of bio-slurry daily, which can be used by farmers as organic liquid manure. Officials said the by-product would help improve soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers.
Beneficiaries would have access to gas round the clock at a substantially lower cost than LPG, the officials said adding that the plant’s capacity would be expanded in the future to cover more households.
Hooda said that 80 households received connections in the initial phase and the administration planned to extend the network to more homes in the village. The Zila Parishad was also exploring the possibility of setting up similar biogas plants in other villages of the district, she added.
Neeraj Mohan is a senior journalist known for his in-depth reporting on political, agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic issues. Currently serving with Hindustan Times, he has a reputation for grassroots journalism and extensive field reporting. Over the years, he has also worked with The Tribune and The Sunday Guardian, covering politics, governance, farmer movements, rural distress, environmental challenges, and public policy issues in North India. Alongside political coverage, he is widely recognised for his human-interest stories that highlight the struggles and aspirations of ordinary people. His journalism combines factual analysis with on-ground narratives, making his work insightful, balanced, and closely connected to grassroots realities.Read More