Skip to main content

UPSC PRELIMS_POWER PLAY- AGRICULTURE SERIES (Bio-methanation )

 

Bio-methanation of rice straw to solve stubble burning


Various steps taken to solve the problem of stubble burning

The following steps are being taken to solve the problem of stubble burning, namely:

  • In an all India coordinated project, efforts are on to produce bio-gas for kitchen use and quality manure for fields using bio-methanation of rice straw by anaerobic digestion method. Six domestic level paddy straw-based biogas plants have been installed in Punjab for field trials and further study is in progress.
  • R&D project has been supported on refinement and demonstration of integrated process technology for conversion of crop residues into ethanol and methane for use as transport fuels.
  • A major focus on agriculture waste/stubble management (waste to wealth), an alternative to burning, has been taken up under waste management technologies programme and proposals are being considered.

The initiative by the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology

Agharkar Research Institute, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, has developed a solution suitable for mitigating the stubble burning problem in Punjab and Haryana, a practice cited as a major cause of air pollution in Delhi.  

Why bio-methanation? 

  •  Anaerobic digestion of rice straw to produce biogas may offer a promising approach to rice straw utilisation and mitigation of air pollution.  
  • Production of methane-rich biogas through anaerobic digestion can provide a versatile source of renewable energy, as methane can be used as a replacement for fossil fuels in both heat and power generation and as a vehicle fuel, thus, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing down the climate change. 
  • Biogas has various applications, right from electricity generation, lighting and cooking fuel to biomethane, a potential fuel for vehicles and natural gas grid. 
  • Furthermore, the process generates nutrient-rich digestate that can be used as an organic fertiliser. In this way, nutrients originating from plants can be recycled and returned to nature. 
  • Extraction of energy from rice straw is limited due to the presence of lignin mesh around the cellulose and hemicellulose structure, making it recalcitrant to microbial attack. 
  • Thermochemical pretreatment such as acid or alkali pretreatment at high temperature is required to break open the complex structure and make it amenable to bio-methanation. However, such pretreatment methods are expensive, highly polluting and laborious, making the options economically unviable.
  • Pune-based Agharkar Research Institute has developed a sustainable microbial process for bio-methanation of rice straw by creating an efficient microbial consortium, which bypasses the need of any thermochemical pretreatment. Its intensive nutritional and process parameter optimisation has yielded over 500 L biogas per kg VS of rice straw with around 50 per cent methane content, considered to be a good yield. 
  • The process of bio-methanation of rice straw developed is, thus, a clean, energy-efficient, cost-effective and environmentally benign method for efficient extraction of energy from agricultural waste.
  • The process can not only solve the air pollution problem of Delhi but also help farmers of Punjab and Haryana earn extra income.

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Literary Works & Authors in Gupta Period

  Major Literary Works & Authors in Gupta Period The Gupta period was known as the Golden period of India in cultural development. It is considered as the one of the supreme and most outstanding times. Gupta Kings patronized the Sanskrit literature. They generously helped Sanskrit scholars and poets. Eventually Sanskrit language became the language of cultured and educated people. Kalidasa He was a Classical Sanskrit writer, extensively considered as the greatest poet and dramatist of Gupta Period. The six major works of Kalidasa are Abhijnanashakuntala Vikramorvashi Malavikagnimitra The epic poems Raghuvamsha Kumarasambhava Meghaduta Vishakhadatta The famous plays of Vishakhadatta are Mudrarakṣhasa Mudrarakshasha means “Ring of the Demon” and it recites the ascent of Chandragupta Maurya to throne. Shudraka He is a king as well as poet The famous three Sanskrit plays contributed by him are Mrichchhakatika (The Little Clay Cart) Vinavasavadatta A bhana (short one-act monologue) ...
Post a Comment
Read more

15 July – Current Affairs

15 July – Current Affairs National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) : Ø The Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries recently told the Parliament that it has advised NDDB to “extend the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005 to its subsidiary companies including NDDB Dairy Services.” Ø Type: An Institution of National Importance set up by an Act of Parliament of India. Ø History: It was founded by Dr. Verghese Kurien in 1965. Ø Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat. Ø NDDB's subsidiaries include: IDMC Limited-Anand, Mother Dairy, Delhi, NDDB Dairy Services, Delhi and Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Hyderabad. World Youth Skill Day : Ø The fourth anniversary of the Skill India Mission is being observed on July 15, 2019 o the occassion of World Youth Skills Day. Ø The United Nations, at its General Assembly in November 2014, declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day.  Ø Traditionally organized by the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka, together w...
1 comment
Read more

CASE STUDY PART-2

CASE STUDY-1 Mihir is a new Panchayat secretary. Within few days he got a circular which said that he should soon conduct Grama Sabha to finalize the action plan of MGNREGA. Action plan contains the list of works to be undertaken in the villages and their estimated expenditures. This should be decided in the Grama Sabha and the decision of Gram Sabha is immutable. The Gram Sabha was held and chairman, all elected members, officer in-charge,engineer,  people from villages debated and finally listed important works to be undertaken and the estimated expenditure was decided there itself. Next, this plan had to be approved in the Panchayat meeting and sent to Tehsil for further approval for sanction of funds. The chairman of Panchayat, who was also a class-I contractor, met Mihir and asked him to manipulate the funds estimates. Even few members who themselves were small time contractors and who had previously used machines in MGNREGA scheme to finish works and draw money, jo...
Post a Comment
Read more