[Assam] Bio-diesel prospects-EDITORIAL = The Assam Tribune, November 11, 2006

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 00:05:20 -0800


The Assam Tribune online
Guwahati, Saturday, November 11, 2006
EDITORIAL
MESSAGE FOR TODAY
The finest plans have always been spoiled by the littleness of those that should carry them out.
— BERTOLT BRECHT

Bio-diesel prospects
While inaugurating ‘Indian’, a three-day national workshop-cum-exhibition on bio-diesel in North East at the Pragjyoti ITA Centre for performing arts, organised by the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) at Guwahati on 18 October, 2006, the President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam urged upon large scale cultivation of jatropha plant, the most promising bio-diesel as a highly economical alternative means of facing the growing energy crisis. He was insistent on the point that exploration of alternative energy sources is an imperative necessity since fossil fuels like oil, gas or coal are limited in deposits and cannot last long. The increasing thrust on bio-diesel cannot only transform the energy scenario of the country but would offer large-scale employment in the rural areas with assured income growth in the plantation sector. The idea of bio-diesel production though not new to the people, the plantation of jatropha and the production of diesel oil from its seeds is yet to be popularised in the country. With limited experience of bio-diesel in the country and elsewhere, as Dr Kalam points out, we have to understand its potential and also problems associated with it. The role of research and development at both the Centre and the States will be crucial for production and processing of bio-diesel. There will be problems at the stages of plantation, harvesting and manufacturing, particularly in the initial period with respect to organisation, management and financing. This will require a large scale initiative from the private sector, self-help groups, financial support from institutional sources apart from the lead role of the government.

The economics of bio-diesel based on jatropha plants is indeed encouraging. It is not only a fast-growing plant but is also immune to harsh weather conditions like drought and it grows rapidly even in poor soil and waste land unfit for cultivation of food and non-food crops. A report on the study of bio-diesel economics says that the annual income from plant per hectare is Rs 60,000 and the cost of planting and maintenance is Rs 30,000 for the initial period of two years after which the profit margin will rise by more than Rs 30,000 per hectare per year. Apart from increase in income and employment of a large number of poor farmers, the source will provide environment-friendly and smoke-free fuel to replace the fossil diesel presently used. Moreover the by-products from jatropha plant process and the wastes out of it could also be a very good organic fertiliser and insecticide for raising the productivity of different farming crops. It may be noted here that Dr Kalam on earlier occasion while inaugurating an international conference in Bangalore on alternative energy sources called upon the organisational talents to divert their attention from fossil fuels renewable energy source with special reference to bio-diesel based on jatropha plants and said that an amount of 2 tonnes of bio-diesel can be produced from jatropha plant seeds per hectare per year. In India, the quantum of cultivable waste land and barren land presently accounts for 60 million hectares, since jatropha plant can grow even in barren land, India has the potentiality reaching a peak production level of 120 million tonnes of diesel oil as against the annual demand of 49 million tonnes at the moment and is expected to rise to around 100 million tonnes by 2025-2030 period when the demand for diesel in the country will expectedly rise.

North East India is rich in natural resources. The waste land, unused jhum land and river banks can offer an area of 1.7 million hectares for jatropha plantation. When plantation and processing are developed in full scale, the region will have the potentiality of producing around 3.4 million tonnes of diesel oil. This will more than suffuse the requirement of the region. Jatropha cultivation could also help to make good organic manure, generate bio-gas, bio-pesticide and its leaves are excellent feed for silk worm which can be a good promoter of tussor silk in addition to bio-fuel production. Dr Kalam also added that the jatropha plant has also medicinal properties which will add to the already existing home land of large-scale medicinal herbs. What is necessary is to develop R&D activities and awareness campaign among the people and initiate training of farmers on scientific plantation in large-scale. Dr Kalam rightly suggested the State governments to arrange preparation and implementation of seed development plans as per projected requirement of the next five years initially. Each State should, therefore, develop policies and machineries needed to regulate access to the lands for jatropha plantation. Workshop and exhibitions could help the farmers of this region to gain confidence in jatropha cultivation using quality seeds, available technology, seed crushing and extration of oil, blending, value-addition and marketing. The development of plantation process and manufacturing could perhaps be best achieved under a co-operative structure. It is happy to note that the government has decided to extend the incentives like excise and import duty exemption to promote the use of bio-diesel as auto-fuels in order to cut down India’s import dependence to meet the energy needs.

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