Lok Sabha Question No. 242 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Dung  of Dairy Animals
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Dr. Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 242 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  DECEMBER 2025

## DUNG OF DAIRY ANIMALS

## 242. DR. BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that milk is considered a key resource for dairy farmers and  given  policy  priority  whereas  dung,  which  has  immense  potential  for  energy, fertilizer and income generation, often does not given adequate attention;
- (b) whether the Government has made any assessment of the potential of dung-based bio-gas to meet the domestic fuel needs of rural households and the country's transportation fuel demand;
- (c) whether the Government has made any evaluation of the potential for widespread use of dung to enhance soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers; and
- (d) if so, the major initiatives taken and schemes being implemented by the Government to promote manure management, bio-gas production,  composting  and  dung-based  value addition for the benefit of small and marginal dairy farmers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING ( SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) to (d) Dung-based biogas has great potential for clean energy production in rural areas. Several studies and field-based assessments have established that the application of Dung based biogas slurry and slurry-based fertilizers enhances soil organic carbon, improves soil structure, increases microbial activity and improves water retention capacity. National Dairy Development  Board  (NDDB),  had  the  studies  conducted  through Anand  Agricultural University/Banaras Hindu University which demonstrated that the use of slurry-based valueadded organic fertilizers can lead to a reduction of chemical fertilizer usage by up to 25%, while also resulting in improved crop yields. National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), under the guidance of DAHD, is implementing manure management projects nationwide through dairy cooperatives. These initiatives promote sustainable waste utilization, energy generation, and nutrient  recycling.  NDDB  has  developed  integrated  Manure  Value  Chain  Models  at  both household and commercial scales, such as:

- I. Zakariyapura Model -Decentralised household-level biogas units.
- II. Varanasi Model -Centralized large-scale biogas plant for captive use in dairy plants.
- III. Banas Model -Centralized Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant converting dung-based biogas into CBG.

These  models  emphasize  end-to-end  manure  value  chains,  providing  additional  income  to small and marginal dairy farmers while converting bio-slurry into organic manure to enhance soil fertility and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers. To institutionalize and scale these efforts,  35,000  decentralized  biogas  plants  (2  m³  each)  have  been  installed  in  smallholder backyards, generating clean cooking energy, organic fertilizer, and mitigating about 7 tonnes CO₂e per plant per year. In addition, large central ized biogas plants (2,000 -4,000 m³) at district milk unions such as Banaskantha and Varanasi produce CBG/biogas for mobility and dairy energy needs, mitigating 2,400 -3,000 tonnes CO₂e per plant per year.Replication is underway with additional plants in Banaskantha, and the models are being extended to Amul, Sabar, Dudhsagar (Gujarat), and Barauni (Bihar), to further scale these efforts, NDDB has signed 25 MoUs with dairy cooperatives across 15 states, supported by partnerships with Suzuki R&D, NABARD, Sustain Plus Energy Foundation, and NDDB Mrida Ltd. for nationwide expansion of sustainable manure management and dung-based value addition.

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