What are the objectives, features and significance of the recently announced GOBAR-Dhan initiative?

The government introduced new scheme Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) in the budget of 2018-19. The Scheme aims to manage and convert cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, bio-gas and bio-CNG.
Objectives of the scheme:

• Keeping the villages clean.
• Generating wealth and energy from the waste.

Features of the Scheme:

• Effective management of the animal and agricultural wastes through cluster approach.
• Wealth from waste by encouraging wise management of wastes for energy requirements.
• Additional income for farmers from effective management of animal wastes.
• Addressing the backward linkage issues of bio-CNG plants by providing assured supply of cow dung.
• Promoting alternate sources of energy in rural areas.

Significance of the Scheme:

• It provides a commercially viable model for waste management. This increases the sustainability of the project.
• Aids in attaining of the targets under the Paris climate deal and the INDCs of India wherein India has committed to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030.
• Reducing the dependency on Imports for CNG as India imports more than 60% of its demand.
• Providing additional source of income for farmers. Thus aids in achieving the target of doubling of farmer’s income by 2022.
• Though India is energy surplus country there is still large number of population without access to electricity. This initiative will provide for alternative source of energy in the places where conventional energy could not penetrate.
• Augmenting the efforts under Swacch Bharath mission by providing for better waste management.

India needs innovative solutions to fight the twin challenges of poverty and pollution which can also ensure commercial viability. Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) is a welcome step in this regard.