May 3 – Across much of India, an energy crunch linked to the Iran war has triggered long queues for cooking gas cylinders, forcing many households to seek alternatives.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, 25-year-old Gauri Devi is among those turning to biogas produced from cow dung to meet daily cooking needs.
In her courtyard kitchen in Nekpur village, about 90 kilometres from New Delhi, she prepares meals on a stove fuelled by methane generated from farm waste.
“It cooks everything,” she said. “If the pressure goes down, we let it rest for half an hour and it works again.”
India consumes more than 30 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) annually, importing over half its supply. While the government maintains there is no shortage, supply delays, panic buying and black market activity have led to long queues in many areas.
Residents in parts of Uttar Pradesh have been seen lining up with empty cylinders for refilling, highlighting the strain on supply chains.
Biogas, however, has long been promoted in India as a low-cost rural energy source. Since the 1980s, the government has subsidised more than five million small-scale “digester” units that convert organic waste into methane for cooking and nutrient-rich slurry for fertiliser.
For Gauri, the system involves mixing cow dung with water and feeding it into an underground tank, producing a steady supply of gas piped directly to her kitchen. She now relies on LPG only for emergencies or large gatherings.
The by-product slurry is used on farms, offering improved nitrogen content compared to raw manure.
Farmer Pramod Singh, who installed a larger unit in 2025, said the fertiliser has become increasingly valuable as global supplies of artificial fertilisers face disruption due to the conflict.
“The real benefit is not just the gas — that is like a bonus,” said local farmer leader Pritam Singh. “The slurry is ‘black gold’.”
With more than 45 per cent of India’s 1.4 billion population reliant on agriculture and one of the world’s largest cattle populations, biogas presents a viable alternative energy source.
India, the world’s most populous nation and third-largest fossil fuel polluter, is also pushing large-scale biogas production as part of its target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070.
The government has set a goal for biogas to account for at least one per cent of liquid gas used in transport and households, rising to five per cent by 2028, with dozens of large-scale plants in development.
At the same time, smaller rural units continue to expand, with installation costs ranging between INR25,000 and 30,000 ($265–$318), often heavily subsidised.
Interest has grown sharply amid the current LPG shortages.
“People who earlier were not interested now ask how to get it,” Pritam Singh said. “Once they see food being cooked and crops benefiting, they are convinced.”
However, experts say adoption remains limited. A.R. Shukla, president of the Indian Biogas Association, noted that such systems require consistent maintenance.
“Biogas plants are not just equipment; they are mini factories,” he said, adding that community or cooperative management models may be needed to scale adoption.
For many, access remains out of reach. Labourer Ramesh Kumar Singh said land constraints prevent some households from installing the systems.
“We work on other people’s farms the whole day. We don’t have land for it,” he said while queuing for LPG in Madalpur village.
Others continue to endure long waits. “I am standing in scorching heat, hungry and thirsty,” said 77-year-old Mahendri, who had failed to secure a gas cylinder for three consecutive days.