Times News NetworkGandhinagar: The state govt said on Thursday that a project to install biogas plants around the Statue of Unity in Narmada district is nearing completion, and will help 1,000 families become self-sufficient in cooking gas.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during last year’s Rashtriya Divas Parade at Ektanagar that biogas plants would be installed in the homes of 1,000 tribal families living near the SoU. This initiative is being implemented in 89 villages under 38 village panchayats of Garudeshwar taluka in Narmada district, an official statement said.Quoting Ravina Tadvi, a resident of Vaghpura village, located about 7km from the SoU, the statement said that the biogas plant set up by the govt has considerably improved their daily life. “Now we don’t worry about LPG cylinders. We get clean fuel every day, and the slurry from the plant serves as an excellent alternative to chemical fertilizers, increasing crop production,” she was quoted as saying. “Women have benefited the most from the biogas plants. Earlier, they had to travel long distances to collect wood for cooking. But now they are self-sufficient in cooking gas,” Chandu Tadvi, another resident, was quoted as saying.The statement said that so far, 665 biogas plants have been installed, and the process of installing the remaining plants is underway. Under the project, the govt bears all the costs for setting up these plants, while beneficiaries are required to contribute labour for digging the necessary pits.
