THIS is apropos Mohiuddin Aazim’s report ‘Slow progress on solar-powered tube-wells’ (March 30). Mr Aazim points out that the installation cost of a solar panel to drive a tube-well ranges between Rs1.50m and Rs1.80m and is not affordable by the majority of farmers.

Millions of head of cattle in Pakistan provide an opportunity to convert their manure into biogas. This biogas can drive a generator which can not only run the tube-well but would also provide much-needed electricity to our dark villages. Mian Ishaq of Bastee Shahbazpur, Sadiqabad, has designed and installed a biogas plant at less than Rs1million. His plant does the following:

a. Operate a generator to produce 30 KW of power.

b. This power runs his tube-well.

c. When the tube-well is not operating, the generator provides electricity to the houses of Mian Ishaque and his five brothers.

d. Biogas is also used as natural gas to cook food in six houses.

e. Mian Ishaque washes and compresses his biogas to fill the CNG cylinder of his car and propel it to 80km.

f. The by-product is a fertiliser which is used in his Kinnow orchard.

Why can’t we have 1,000,000 plants across Pakistan like the one made by Mian Ishaq. I can help design a modular plant which can be duplicated easily and quickly.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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