Chitwana's Kumroj named first model bio-gas VDC

Chitwana's Kumroj named first model bio-gas VDC

CHITWAN, June 2: In Kumroj village development committee (VDC) in eastern Chitwan, one will find it difficult to see a house which does not have a biogas plant. Almost eighty percent of the homes here now have biogas plants and this became possible through five years of efforts by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and Terai Arc Landscape (TAL). On Sunday, the VDC was declared as Nepal´s first model biogas VDC amid a grand function. The VDC borders the Chitwan National Park.
There are a total of 1,750 households in the VDC and 1,374 have installed biogas plants. The campaign was started five years ago in an attempt to minimize the conflict between wild animals of the park and humans, who would venture inside the park in search of firewood and many would perish in attacks by wild animals. [bread]
Now, as majority of the households has biogas plants, they do not have to venture inside the jungle. Very few people use firewood so the conflict between humans and animals is almost nil, according to Kul Prasad Bhusal, the chairman of the Budi Rapti Buffer Zone Consumers Group.
In the initial phase of the project, 14 bio gas plants were installed in the VDC but gradually the number of households preferring the environment-friendly and life-friendly solution to fuel increased. 
"The remaining houses will also install biogas plants within a year and a half and the project will be a grand success," said Bhusal.
Among the total biogas plants in the VDC, 925 were installed by NTNC, 193 by TAL and the rest by the consumers group.
According to Bhusal, the biogas plants have saved 3,435 tons of fuelwood and saved 10,168 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Source: The Republica