100 TPD biogas plant in Delhi’s Civil Lines to curb Yamuna pollution: MCD

A 100 TPD compressed biogas plant is set to come up between the Bhalaswa and Jharoda dairies in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area, aimed at managing cattle waste and preventing it from entering the Yamuna, officials said.

The proposal for the project will soon be submitted to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The plant is planned over an eight-acre site located between the two dairy clusters, they said.

“Around 6,000 cattle have been identified in the surrounding areas, generating substantial quantities of organic waste. The facility will have a capacity of 50 tonnes per day (TPD) each for Bhalaswa and Jharoda dairies,” officials said, adding that a survey to assess cattle population and waste generation was conducted last month.

Meanwhile, experts said that nearly 80 per cent of pollution in the Yamuna in Delhi is caused by domestic sewage, while the remaining 20 per cent comes from sources such as dairy waste, solid waste dumping and small-scale industries.

“Dairy waste is not the dominant source of pollution, but it is a low-hanging fruit, it is localised, easier to manage and can be converted into a resource,” environmentalist Bhavreen Kandhari said.

Experts further said cattle waste from dairy clusters is a relatively untapped resource in tackling pollution and can be effectively utilised under a “circular economy model” by converting waste into clean cooking fuel.

“With LPG prices rising, people have a natural economic incentive to shift towards biogas. But communities will cooperate only if they clearly see direct benefits like cheaper or free fuel. For that, creating awareness among dairy owners is very crucial,” she said.

She added that cattle dung can yield approximately 0.035 to 0.04 cubic metres of biogas per kilogram, with biogas typically containing 55 to 60 per cent methane.

“One cubic metre of biogas is equivalent to about 0.43 kg of LPG, translating into an estimated 45 to 110 tonnes of LPG equivalent per day from such facilities, roughly 3,000 to 8,000 domestic cylinders (14.2 kg each),” she said.

In September last year, the civic body operationalised its first large biogas plant at Nangli dairy in southwest Delhi, with a capacity to process 200 TPD of cattle waste.