The platform will serve as a one-stop shop for assessing investment and participation, as well as streamlining the process of establishing CBG/Biogas plants in India
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, launched the Unified Registration Portal for GOBARdhan, which will serve as a one-stop repository for assessing investment and participation in the Biogas/CBG sector at the pan-India level, as well as streamlining the process of establishing CBG/Biogas plants in India. By enrolling in this single registration system, any government, cooperative, or private enterprise operating or planning to establish a Biogas/CBG/Bio CNG plant in India can acquire a registration number.
Galvanising organic bio-agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) is a critical GoI umbrella effort that takes a whole-of-government approach to converting waste to riches and supporting the circular economy. The Indian government plans to create a healthy environment for the establishment of Biogas/Compressed compressed biogas (CBG)/Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) facilities in order to support sustainable economic growth and promote a circular economy. As the nodal department for GOBARdhan, the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) created this portal, which may be accessible at https://gobardhan.co.in. Virtually present at the event were additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries (in charge of rural sanitation) from all States/UTs, as well as delegates from different government ministries and departments.
In his address to the gathering, Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, stated that the GOBARdhan Unified Registration Portal is a perfect example of cooperative federalism because all stakeholder Central Ministries, all line departments of the Centre, and all states collaborated in the development and deployment of the portal. He stated, “Our visionary Prime Minister gave us the responsibility of ensuring ‘waste to wealth’ to which effect we launched the GOBARdhan initiative. With more than 650 GOBARdhan plants and this portal, we have made significant achievements in our waste to wealth generation journey”.
The Union Minister also stated that the portal will not only ensure Ease of Doing Business (EODB), but will also encourage higher investment from private companies due to aggregated data from various ministries and departments across the Centre and States. "I hope and urge everyone here today to continue our concerted efforts to ensure a faster pace and progress of outcomes - 'gati aur pragati' of the GOBARdhan initiative," he said. Shekhawat emphasised that registering new projects on the portal is a prerequisite for receiving any benefit/support from GoI schemes and programmes (GOBARdhan related), and in that context, he urged all private operators as well as government stakeholders to register on this Unified Registration portal as soon as possible.
Speaking during the event, Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, stated that the portal was the product of a comprehensive collaborative process that included all stakeholder ministries. She stated that the portal had been made available to all states, ministries, and line departments for a dry run in order to resolve any technical concerns. The CBG Producers Association was also formed to examine and investigate the portal's operation. Mahajan stated that the portal will be a great tool for investors and businesses in the area, since it will display information on both existing and proposed GOBARdhan initiatives.
According to Jitendra Srivastava, JS&MD, SBM(G) & GOBARdhan, as of today, more than 650 GOBARdhan plants have been reported by various stakeholders. He further stated that the portal is open to the public in order to ensure transparency and make data available for research and related uses.
GOBARdhan's goal is to create money and energy by converting bovine dung, agricultural residue, and other organic waste into biogas, CBG, and biofertilisers. This project includes a wide range of plans, programmes, and policies aimed at encouraging the conversion of organic waste such as bovine dung, agri-residue, and so on to biogas/CBG/Bio CNG.