A biogas plant in the district that was set up a year ago is currently sitting idle, unable to produce any gas, due to the absence of raw materials.
The plant set up by the Rural Development Authority (RDA) of Bogra, with donations from the Ujjal Kurigram Ashar Alo Mohila Samity, stopped producing biogas following an acute financial crisis. As a result, generators dependent on the biogas could not produce electricity to meet the demands of around 100 local houses.
Members of the samity, a platform formed in 2011 by 115 landless women from Niridham Baniyapara village in the sadar upazila, donated Tk200,000 to the RDA to set up the biogas plant, which cost an estimated Tk1m.
In return, the RDA had agreed to provide the samity members with cows, as cow manure is the only available raw material.
If the situation changes the plant would produce gas worth Tk12,000 daily.
Afroza Khatun, a member of the samity, said: “The samity members are landless and work in others’ houses. We saved some money to establish this plant in a bid to change our luck. However, we have been incapable of saving further money to start the plant. ”
Md Sokmol Hossain, organiser of the Mohila Samity, said: “At least Tk200,000-300,000 is needed to restart the facility, along with a sufficient supply of raw materials.”