DHADING, – In a bid to utilize organic waste for producing biogas and promote a smoke-free cooking environment, more biogas plants and improved ovens are being installed in Dhading district.

Fifty-three households are the newest families to start installation of biogas plants and improved ovens in the district. While 45 families will own plants and ovens at wards 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Nalang VDC, 18 households at ward no. 9 of Nilkantha VDC will also boast of the facility very soon.

The good news is the majority of biogas plant owners are marginal and small farmers who earlier had not enjoyed the facility that was mostly installed by medium sections in several Dhading villages.

On the initiation of local community forest users’ groups and under the financial and technical assistance of National Conservation and Development Centre (NCDC), a campaign to install biogas plants and improved ovens has been launched in some villages here.

To make the drive a success, NCDC has provided Rs. 15,00 to each Dalit family and Rs. 12,700 to each non-Dalit family.

The biogas technology is based on fermentation of organic waste causing its decomposition, generates 60-70 percent methane gas. Biogas experts say one biogas plant, on average, helps save two tonnes of fuel wood, 0.8 tonnes of agricultural waste, 0.45 tonnes of dung cake and 50 litre of kerosene per household.

The government had launched biogas plant construction programme in 1975 providing interest free loans to farmers for installation of biogas plants.