After only a month and half into operation, the much anticipated biogas plant of Central Cattle Breeding and Dairy Farm in Savar has been shut down for no specific reason.
Employees of the farm alleged that the officials involved in the project swindled a large chunk of money.
The biogas plant, costing Tk80 lakh, was set up in 2012 to generate electricity using the manure of the farm animals. However, only after 45 days of production the plant was shut down because of alleged technical fault. Since then there has been no initiative to make it operational again.
According to the documents obtained on request from the dairy farm, it was learned that the biogas project was approved to meet the demand of electricity for the dairy farm. Production in the farm has been greatly hampered due to the rampant power failure.
In the Savar dairy farm, there are more than 1500 cows and goats producing about 1500kg manure a day. The biogas project proposal said 550 cubic feet of gas could be produced with that amount of animal waste per day. And a 40-kilowatt generator can produce electricity for 20-hours at a stretch with that gas.
Moreover, since biogas is environment friendly and sustainable, the Livestock Department approved the project in 2012 with a cost of Tk79 lakh and 48 thousand.
The plant was inaugurated in June 2012 and since then was able to provide electricity for only 45 days. But it has remained suspiciously out of operation since then.
A visit to the dairy farm found that four houses were built for the biogas plant. Many equipment including a generator was also bought. But now they are collecting dust and falling apart day by day.
Comparing the market price of the equipment bought for the project, it was observed that they were purchased at a much higher price.
For example, the generator that was shown priced at Tk45 lakh and 13 thousand could be bought for Tk3-4 lakh from the market. And though the budget had two generators listed, only one was bought.
In the same way, cost for making the biogas plant was estimated to be Tk11 lakh 65 thousand. But local biogas plant makers and owners said the real price was much lower.
Jalal Sarkar of Hemayetpur has two biogas plants, similar to the one in the dairy farm, in his house. He said he spent about Tk2 lakh for each for the plants.
“The biogas plant in the dairy farm may cost a bit more but definitely not that much,” he claimed.
Some employees of the farm, on request of anonymity, said government fund had been misused in the project.
They alleged that the plant is kept non-operative because of the project director Gautam Kumar Kundo and the deputy director of the farm.
After several attempts, this correspondent was able to contact the deputy director Dr Abul Kalam Azad, who said he did not have any knowledge about the project and denied to comment any further.
