NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to establish Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants for scientific processing of cow dung, with the project aimed at reducing pollution in the Yamuna, improving waste management and generating additional income for livestock owners.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said the initiative could serve as a model for sustainable urban waste management across the country, The New Indian Express reported.
Under the project, an integrated system will be developed to collect and process cow dung generated by nearly 1.25 lakh cattle in Delhi. The collected dung will be converted into compressed biogas and organic manure, while livestock owners will receive ₹1 per kilogram of cow dung supplied under the scheme, according to an official statement.
Shah said the initiative would help improve urban sanitation, generate clean energy, promote organic farming and create an additional source of income for livestock owners.
He also described the agreement as an important step towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of cleaning the Yamuna River.
Shah said the river could not be restored unless the discharge of sewage and waste was stopped. He noted that work had already begun on around 80 treatment plants in Delhi to treat sewage and industrial effluents and said the government was now taking steps to prevent cow dung from entering the river.
The Home Minister said the government aims to ensure that no untreated wastewater flows into the Yamuna by December 2028, adding that the new cow dung processing facilities would strengthen the capital’s waste management system.
According to Shah, the collected cow dung will be processed at the Nangli, Ghoga-Goyla and Ghazipur waste management facilities. He said the project could become a model for urban local bodies by demonstrating how cattle waste can be converted into clean energy and organic manure while supporting environmental protection and rural livelihoods.
Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Cooperation Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani and senior officials from the Centre and the Delhi government attended the signing ceremony.
