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It was Gandhian economist J.C.Kumarappa who first saw the potential of using the biogas plant as a backyard fertilizer plant. This paradigm shift mooted by the eminent economist has been getting materialized by Vivekananda Kendra - Natural Resources Development Project (VK-NARDEP) in Kanyakumari the southernmost tip of India where Swami Vivekananda did his historical meditation sitting on the last rock of Indian mainland.
VK-NARDEP’s tryst with biogas plants started in 1982. Though biogas technology is a very promising ideal sustainable technology, NARDEP team making a nationwide study discovered some important bottlenecks prohibiting the integration of this technology with the average Indian farmer owning livestock. The extensive study made VK-NARDEP come up with its own innovation in the form of 1 m3 plants ideally suited for marginal farmers with livestock. It also trained biogas builders in volume reduction of biogas plants. This helped in reviving many non-functional biogas plants. It was in the course of this mission that the team was hit upon by the idea of developing an integrated package of sustainable agricultural technologies for the farming community using biogas slurry.
The technology package developed by Kendra, has backyard technologies suitable for marginal dairy farmers. Here biogas slurry is an important component either as the basic nutrient medium or as value adding component. Thus Azolla is cultivated in the biogas slurry enriched medium in silpauline sheet. The Azolla is fed to the cattle substantially reducing chemical feed while increasing the quality and quantity of milk. This technology called ‘NARDEP method’ has become a great success among the marginal dairy farmers of South India that even ICRISAT took an interest in this technology. The same way organic liquid nutrient formulations like Living Water (a mixture of seawater, biogas slurry and yeast which simulate primordial ocean thus enhancing effective microorganisms), backyard Blue Green Algae (BGA) cultivation, biogas slurry enhanced vermi compost and vermin wash have the biogas slurry as the common denominator in all of them. This approach has paid high dividends.
With 2000 biogas plants to its credit, VK-NARDEP has conducted training camps for biogas users and also has consistently updated them with the new biogas slurry based technologies innovated by it. The installations of biogas plants have transformed the dusty village of Pulliankudi in the interior of Thirunelveli district into an epicenter of organic farming movement. Here farmers who commenced organic farming by slowly replacing fertilizers with biogas slurry have started Organic farmers’ association. The members of these associations consist of farmers who proudly say how the installation of biogas plants by VK-NARDEP led them to organic farming. In the words of Gomathinayam of Pulliankudi Thirunelveli district, who along with fellow agriculturist Antony Sami spearheads the organic farmers association, “This is not just a biogas plant but more importantly a bio-fertilizer factory. I am getting Rs 2,250 worth of fertilizer from the biogas plants constructed by Vivekananda Kendra." Mrs. Lurdu Mary wife of Antony Samy says with glee: ““I have slurry for my farm, I have gas for my kitchen, what more do I need? I consider biogas as the best gift of a lifetime given by my husband after our marriage"
Not just individuals but institutions too have taken up the biogas technology from VK-NARDEP and soon started steering their ploughs the organic path. Swami Shivananda Hospital at Pathumadai runs a whole bakery unit for in-house patients in the blue flame of the biogas plants installed by VK-NARDEP. Soon the food supplied to all patients became organic as the biogas slurry used to get pumped out into the lush green garden in the coconut grooves of which are Azolla floating in beds of biogas slurry enriched nutrient medium. With the touch of Zen remarks Swami Jagadishwarananda, head farmer and gardener of Swami Shivananda Hospital “All you need is spirituality and slurry.”
The all round success of promoting biogas technology in the holistic context of sustainable farming technologies, has earned VK-NARDEP the prestigious International Ashden award for sustainable energy for the year 2006. Sri. G.Vasudeo the secretary of VK-NARDEP received the award in a presentation ceremony held at London this June. He attributed this phenomenal success to the VK-NARDEP team and the ecologically oriented mindset of Indian farmers which together helped in developing and disseminating this synergetic combination of technologies. Above all he thanked the vision of J.C.Kumarappa whose vision is bearing fruition today through Vivekananda Kendra in the farmers’ backyards.
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Last Updated on Monday, 05 January 2009 20:51 |
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