India is scaling up waste-to-energy projects that convert organic waste into cooking fuel, electricity and fertiliser. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs reports that under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, several cities and institutions are operating biogas plants that turn municipal and agricultural waste into useful resources. These projects show how proper waste management can generate clean energy while reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers and fossil fuels.
Key facts
- Gandhinagar educational campus: two biogas plants with combined capacity of 90 cubic metres per day, powered by dung from 222 cows, eliminates need for 30 LPG cylinders monthly
- Prayagraj bio-CNG plant: processes 343 tonnes of organic waste daily, produces 21 tonnes of bio-CNG, generates 28 tonnes of compost daily
- Gwalior gaushala: 100-tonne-per-day CBG plant processing cattle dung and market waste, cost ₹31 crore, produces 2 tonnes of compressed biogas daily and 10–15 tonnes of bio-manure
- Hyderabad vegetable market: generates 400–500 units of electricity daily from 10 tonnes of waste, reduced monthly electricity bill from ₹3 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh
- Five additional biogas plants approved for Hyderabad market yards at Gudimalkapur, Gaddiannaram, Erragadda, Alwal and Saroornagar
- Swachh Bharat Mission launched October 2014
What is waste-to-energy under Swachh Bharat Mission
The Swachh Bharat Mission, which began in October 2014, focuses on scientific management of municipal solid waste across India. As the programme expanded, authorities recognised that organic waste could be converted into valuable resources through controlled decomposition. Waste-to-energy projects operate on a simple principle: instead of sending organic matter to landfills, specially designed plants break it down in oxygen-free environments to produce biogas, a clean cooking fuel. The leftover material, called digestate or slurry, becomes nutrient-rich fertiliser for farms. This dual output reduces both waste going to dumps and the need for chemical fertilisers.
How the four models work
The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 supports different scales and types of waste-to-energy projects suited to local conditions. At Shrimati Manekba Vinay Vihar Educational Complex near Adalaj in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the campus kitchen serves over 500 people daily using only biogas. The two biogas plants receive feedstock from 222 cows kept on campus, plus kitchen waste and agricultural residue. This replaced 30 LPG cylinders that would have been needed monthly. The Gujarat government’s Institutional Biogas Plant Scheme and the Gujarat Energy Development Agency provided policy and financial backing.
In Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, a multi-feedstock bio-CNG plant handles wet waste from hotels and restaurants, paddy straw, cattle dung and poultry litter. This variety of inputs helps address stubble burning, a major air pollution problem. The plant processes 343 tonnes of organic waste daily and produces 21 tonnes of compressed bio-CNG for transport use. Supply from restaurants and apartment complexes grew from 7–8 tonnes initially to 125 tonnes daily. The facility also produces 28 tonnes of high-quality compost for local farmers. The project is expected to provide clean fuel access to approximately 45,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by about 57,000 tonnes annually.
At Adarsh Gaushala in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, a 100-tonne-per-day compressed biogas plant built at a cost of ₹31 crore converts cattle dung and market waste. This facility, developed with Indian Oil Corporation, processes dung from over 10,000 cattle housed at the gaushala. Daily output includes 2 tonnes of compressed biogas and 10–15 tonnes of bio-manure for farmers in nearby districts. The plant reduces reliance on fossil fuels and has created local employment in green energy sectors.
Hyderabad’s Bowenpally Vegetable Market operates a smaller but highly efficient model. The market collects roughly 10 tonnes of vegetable and fruit waste daily. An on-site biogas plant shreds this waste into slurry, feeds it into anaerobic digesters, and captures the resulting gas. The electricity generated, around 400–500 units daily, powers the market’s streetlights, stalls, administration building and water pumps. The system reduced the market’s monthly electricity bill from approximately ₹3 lakh to ₹1.5 lakh. The success led to funding for five additional plants at other Hyderabad market yards.
Employment and farmer benefits
These projects create jobs and support agricultural practices. At the Bowenpally vegetable market, women workers sort and segregate waste, operate machinery and handle administrative tasks. They receive regular wages, safety equipment including masks and gumboots, and skill development opportunities. The bio-manure produced at these plants provides farmers with affordable, organic fertiliser, supporting regenerative farming practices and reducing dependence on chemical inputs.
What this means for you
If you live in or near a city running these projects, your local waste management may improve and electricity or fuel costs could decrease. Students at institutions with biogas plants study at self-sufficient campuses reducing environmental impact. Farmers buying bio-manure gain lower-cost, chemical-free fertiliser. Workers in waste management gain steady employment with safety standards. Citizens in served areas benefit from reduced landfill pressure, lower air pollution from fewer chemical fertiliser trucks, and local energy independence.
What happens next
The five additional biogas plants approved for Hyderabad market yards are in the pipeline. The Prayagraj bio-CNG plant is expected to extend piped gas to approximately 45,000 households. These projects demonstrate a model that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is promoting for scaling across India’s urban centres, campuses, gaushalas and markets.