Belauri Municipality in Nepal’s Kanchanpur district has installed biogas plants in 250 households during the current fiscal year as part of an initiative to promote clean cooking fuel, reduce dependence on firewood and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and improve environmental and public health.
The biogas plants were installed under a grant programme that prioritised households engaged in livestock farming, Nepal News reported.
Deputy Mayor Jogram Chaudhary said the municipality contributed 14% of the installation cost, while beneficiaries bore 13.66% and the remaining 76% was funded by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre.
According to municipal data, Ward No. 10 accounted for the highest number of installations with 70 biogas plants, followed by 38 in Ward No. 1, 28 in Ward No. 5, 19 in Ward No. 7, 11 in Ward No. 4, 10 in Ward No. 8, four in Ward No. 2, one in Ward No. 3, and three each in Wards No. 6 and 9. During the previous fiscal year, 28 biogas plants were installed in Ward No. 5.
Some households that installed biogas plants also constructed toilets at their own expense, Chaudhary said.
He said wider adoption of biogas would reduce the need for firewood collection, helping conserve forests while easing the burden on women who traditionally spend time gathering fuel. He added that the use of smokeless biogas stoves could also reduce eye irritation, respiratory ailments and other health problems associated with traditional cooking methods.
Chaudhary said the organic manure produced by biogas plants provides an alternative to chemical fertilisers and can help improve the production of vegetables, fruits and cereals.
The municipality has proposed expanding the programme in the next fiscal year to cover more livestock-rearing households as part of its clean energy and sustainable agriculture initiatives.
