OREANDA-NEWS. Tata Power, India's largest integrated power Company, through its 100 per cent subsidiary Coastal Gujarat Power has always endeavoured towards green and sustainable development of the village in and around its area of operation. Under this Green village concept, Tata Power successfully installed 36 biogas plants across 8 villages. The Company has undertaken the installation of biogas plants under project 'Annapurna' in Mundra and Mandvi in association with Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT).

A villager with the household biogas plant

With this initiative, Tata Power aims to promote the use of Household Biogas by creating awareness on the optimal use of cow dung. Being considerably cheaper than conventional energy sources, the daily input in each Bio Gas plant is nearly 40 KG which enables cooking for a family of 5-6 people.

The total cost of each plant is Rs. 26,200, of which Rs. 18,000 was invested by Tata Power with Rs. 8200 contributed by the community. The used cow dung can be further reused as fertilizer, whereas maintenance of the unit is simple and stress free. The unit has also resulted in monthly savings of nearly Rs 300 which was earlier spent on wood and kerosene. Additionally, the unit assists in protection of the environment as well as health of the villagers as it avoids the pollution caused by burning wood. This reduction in pollution further protects the families from future ailments such as asthmatic problems, cataract etc.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. K.K. Sharma, CEO and ED - CGPL stated that "At Tata Power we understand the need for the holistic development of community. The Company has constantly aimed to ensure effective and sustainable development which enables us to create a world which is conscious of its responsibilities towards the environment. The Biogas plants equip us with a bouquet of benefits while utilising readily available natural resources which protects villagers from chronic diseases arising out of burning wood and coal. We aspire to work collectively for the augmentation of the society and will continue implementing such initiatives in the future. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Tata Power team, Tata Power Community Development Trust and all affiliated parties for their support and participation."

Prior to initiating the project, the Tata Power team conducted a consultative process with the community in order to obtain their views, awareness on usage, feedback on the units as installed last year and their benefits thus far. Furthermore, the Company approached Sintax Industries Limited, which is one of the leading manufacturers of Household Biogas units. Tata Power also collected feedback from the community in order to equip Sintax with all operational suggestions and experiences. The consultative process proved to be extremely fruitful, increasing the acceptability of the project among the community.