Socio-Economic Impact of Biogas Plant in Rural Area: A Study of Narayanpur VDC, Kailali District, Nepal

Abstract

The thesis entitled "Socio-Economic Impact of Biogas Plant inRural Area: A Study of Narayanpur VDC, Kailali, Nepali". The generalobjective of this study is to assess the socio-economic impact of biogasplant installation in Narayanpur VDC, Kailali. The specific objectives ofthe study area: to study the biogas plant as an appropriate alternativesource of energy, to study the impact of biogas plant in relation to theworkload, improvement in health and sanitation, time and energy saving,overall energy, environment and economic benefits and to study thepotentialbenefits of biogas plant installation in relation to use of digestedslurry as fertilizer and to make recommendations and suggestions topromote biogas plant installation. This study has been chosen as aspecial topic to address the problem of energy in the study area and toprovide the scope for the dissemination of the biogas technology. Thisstudy is basically based on both primary and secondary sources of data. Narayanpur VDC issituated inthe far western regionof Nepal. Inthis VDC, there were 1,800 households. In the study area there were1,800 households. About 60 households have been taken as sampledhouseholds out of 1,800 households. Sampled households were those whohad installed biogas plant. Simple random sampling technique has beenused toselect sample. In this study data were collected from field surveyby applying household survey questionnaire and observation method. This study found that majority of the households (50%) out of totalinterviewed reported that they had adopted agriculture as a mainoccupation. Average family size of the sampled household was 5.6 perhousehold. About 86.6 percent plant owners out of total interviewed wereliterate whereas only 13.4 percent were illiterate. Average landholding vi size is 17 katthas per household. About 53.3 percent out of totalinterviewed reported that they were from Brahmin caste. Out of total sampled biogas plant owners, majority of thehouseholds (83.3%) had taken loan from financial institutions. About 80percent households reported that the main reason behind the installationof biogas plant was easy and smokeless cooking. Around 86.7 percentplant owners had attached toilet with the biogas plant. Average livestockpopulation size of sampled household was 4.3 per household, Averagedung production was 24.4 kgs per household. Majority of the respondents(73.3%) reported that the agricultural production had been increased.Total average time saving was 2½hrs per day per household. Averagesaving amount of money was Rs.600/-per month perhousehold. It was found that from the study, majority of the respondents(43.3%) has used saved time on farm activities. This study also revealedthat improvement was found in health and sanitation situation. AboutRs.310 per year was saved on health treatment by each household.Majority of the respondents (86.7%) out of total interviewed reported thattheir social status was raised. It was also found that women were highlybenefited by the biogas plant (63.3%). About 50 percent households outof total interviewed accepted that the overall energy, environment andeconomic condition had been improved.