Nearly 1,000 tribal households near Statue of Unity get biogas plants; over 665 already installed in Gujarat's Narmada district
Gandhinagar, May 14
In a significant step towards promoting self-reliance in clean cooking fuel, nearly 1,000 tribal households across villages surrounding the Statue of Unity at Ektanagar are being equipped with individual biogas plants.
According to a press release by Gujarat CMO, the initiative, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance), aims to reduce dependence on LPG and traditional firewood while ensuring access to clean, sustainable energy in rural households.
"The project, announced by the Prime Minister during the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas parade in 2025, is being implemented across 89 villages under 38 Gram Panchayats in Garudeshwar taluka of Narmada district. The project is being implemented by the Garudeshwar taluka panchayat and is being monitored by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Narmada district," the release said.
Ravina Tadvi, a resident of Vaghpura village located about 7 km from the Statue of Unity, shares how the initiative has transformed her daily life.
"We no longer worry about LPG cylinders. After the installation of the biogas plant, we have become self-reliant for our cooking fuel needs. We get clean fuel every day, and the slurry is also useful in our fields, improving crop yield," she said.
Echoing similar sentiments, local resident Chandu Tadvi highlighted the scheme's impact on women.
"Women have benefited the most. Earlier, they had to work in the fields and then travel long distances to collect firewood. Cooking with smoke was also harmful. Now, with biogas, they are free from smoke and have become self-reliant in cooking fuel," he said.
So far, more than 665 biogas plants have already been installed in tribal households in the region, while work is underway to complete installations in the remaining 300 households.
The release stated that with this project, tribal families receive the dual benefits of clean fuel and biogas slurry, which can be used as organic manure in farming.
With the project progressing at a rapid pace, the initiative stands as a model of sustainable rural development, reducing dependence on conventional fuels, improving health conditions, and reinforcing the vision of self-reliant villages, the release added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers—665+ installed already! As someone from the US following Indian development news, it's heartening to see this progress. The reduction in firewood collection must be life-changing for women. Hope the maintenance aspect is also taken care of long-term.
Yeh toh bahut acchi baat hai! 🙏 My mother still uses firewood in our village near Pune, and the smoke issues are real. Biogas is a no-brainer—clean fuel, less smoke, and free manure for farming. Government should replicate this model in every tribal belt of the country. Well done, Gujarat!
Great initiative, but I wonder about the follow-up. My experience in sustainable development projects (I work with an NGO in Africa) shows that without proper training for maintenance, many biogas plants become redundant after a year. Hope the local panchayats have a maintenance plan in place!
Modi ji ki vision se hi aisa possible hai! 🇮🇳 Aatmanirbhar Bharat in action. My chacha in UP also got one from another scheme—it's truly liberating. And the fact that women are the main beneficiaries is beautiful. Government should also ensure cattle availability since biogas needs cow dung input. Still, kudos to Gujarat model!
Really happy to see this! My grandmother in a remote village near Mysuru still struggles with LPG availability. Biogas is the way forward—uses waste, gives fuel, no cost after installation. Just hope the distribution is equitable and not just limited to certain families. Good work, Narmada district! 😊
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