What: GOBAR DHAN Scheme
When: April 30, 2018
Where: Karnal, Haryana
Why: Village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
- The Central Government on April 30, 2018 launched the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources – DHAN scheme which was announced in the Union Budget 2018-19.
- Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti, launched the scheme at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Auditorium, Karnal in the presence of the Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manohar Lal Khattar.
- Aim: The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
- The scheme, which is basically associated with Swachh Bharat Mission, also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural people.
- The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) comprises two main components for creating clean villages – creating open defecation free (ODF) villages and managing solid and liquid waste in villages. With over 3.5 lakh villages, 374 districts and 16 States/UTsof the country being declared ODF, the stage is set for ODF-plus activities, including measures to enhance solid and liquid waste management.
- The GOBAR-DHAN scheme, with its focus on keeping villages clean, increasing the income of rural households, and generation of energy from cattle waste, is an important element of this ODF-plus strategy.
- The scheme envisages the implementation of 700 bio-gas units in different states of the country in 2018-19.
- As per the Union Minister, under GOBAR-Dhan, cooking gas would be provided to rural habitations and technical support would ensure that the schemes functioned on a sustainable basis.
- The guidelines of GOBAR-DHAN scheme were also launched which details of the scheme, implementation arrangements, financing provisions and roles and responsibilities of the Centre, State governments, districts and other stakeholders involved in implementation of the scheme.
- The IEC strategy for GOBAR-DHAN and successful case studies were also presented and field visits to bio-gas
- plants were also conducted after the launch. The launch was attended by sarpanches from the project villages, implementing agencies, officers from 14 states and district officers.
