New Delhi, Oct. 19 -- Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday inaugurated a Rs.16-crore biogas plant at Goyla Dairy in Najafgarh, designed to process 200 metric tonnes of cow dung daily and convert it into clean fuel and organic fertiliser, in a move aimed at preventing dairy waste from entering drains and polluting the Yamuna.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)-built facility is expected to generate around 14,000 cubic metres of raw biogas and 5.6 tonnes of purified compressed biogas daily. The gas will be supplied to Indraprastha Gas Limited through a pipeline, while the leftover slurry will be used as organic fertiliser.

Gupta said cleaning the Yamuna required tackling pollution at its source rather than focusing only on the river. She said the plant would help improve sanitation in dairy colonies while turning waste into a resource.

"Cleaning the Yamuna alone is not enough; effective action must also be taken against the factors that cause pollutants to reach it," the Chief Minister said.

Gupta said three biogas plants had become operational in Delhi over the past 18 months, while work was underway on six more. She cited the Nangli Sakrawati plant, which processed 55,000 tonnes of cow dung in a year and paid farmers Rs.3.5 crore.

The government has also allocated Rs.50 crore for drains and drainage improvements in Delhi's dairy colonies, she said, adding that the initiative aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Waste to Wealth" vision.

Under the Goyla project, the agency will collect cow dung from dairy operators at 67 paise per kilogram, providing livestock owners with an additional source of income while easing waste-disposal challenges.

Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood said earlier governments had relocated dairies from residential colonies without adequately addressing scientific cow-dung disposal and basic infrastructure.

"Delhi now wants politics centred on concrete work and results, not excuses," Sood said, describing the plant as an example of the government's focus on implementation and accountability.

Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Deputy Mayor Monika Pant, MLA Sandeep Sehrawat and other officials attended the inauguration. Gupta urged dairy operators to cooperate with regular collection and ensure cow dung was not discharged into drains.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.