West Asia conflict | From cow dung to cooking gas: Goa village demonstrates waste-to-gas solution

Mumbai: Amid rising concerns over fuel security and sustainable energy following the West Asia crisis, a village in North Goa is demonstrating how organic waste can be converted into a reliable source of cooking fuel.

A biogas plant set up in Mayem by the Department of Panchayati Raj is converting cow dung into cooking gas, offering a decentralised model of waste-to-energy generation.

The facility processes nearly 5,000 kilograms of cow dung each day and produces about 130 cubic metres of biogas, which is used for daily cooking needs.

“Biogas is a clean and efficient solution that turns waste into a valuable source of energy. The initiative by the Mayem Panchayat demonstrates how this can be effectively used for cooking at the local level. "Effective waste management is not just about disposal, but about creating value from what we generate,” says Mauvin Godinho, a cabinet minister in the Goa government.

Implemented under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) as part of the GOBARdhan Initiative, the project focuses on converting biodegradable waste into clean energy while strengthening rural waste management systems.

The plant processes around 5 tonnes of cow dung per day. Typically, 1 tonne can generate about 35–40 cubic metres of biogas, which means the plant produces roughly 130 cubic metres daily. This is sufficient to meet the cooking needs of approximately 80–100 households, depending on usage.

This is currently the only operational project in Goa that converts cow dung into biogas at this scale.

The Mayem plant demonstrates how community-level infrastructure can address waste disposal challenges while contributing to renewable energy adoption and environmental conservation.

At present, the gas supply is limited to the gaushala’s main kitchens (2) and labour residential units (13), benefiting around 15 families. The gas is currently used for community/public purposes within the gaushala, with potential for wider local distribution.

The approximate cost of setting up one such plant is Rs 1.97 crore.

Given its ability to convert locally available cow dung waste into a reliable cooking fuel, this project could serve as a replicable model especially in the context of rising interest in decentralized alternatives to LPG.