10-acre land demand stalls CBG project in Belagavi

Belagavi: Uncertainty continues to shroud the proposed compressed biogas (CBG) project by the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), with delays mounting over the non-availability of suitable land. The Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) remains locked in a dilemma over GAIL's insistence on a contiguous 10-acre plot at a single location.The project, sanctioned in Nov 2025 under the Centre's GOBARdhan scheme, envisages no financial burden on the civic body. GAIL has committed to fully funding the initiative, with a capital investment of Rs 54.2 crore and an estimated annual operational cost of Rs 7.6 crore.Designed as a waste-to-energy initiative, the plant aims to process around 150 tonnes of wet waste generated from across the city, converting it into compressed biogas and organic fertiliser. Initially proposed at the Turmuri waste management facility, the plan was shelved following strong local opposition. Subsequent attempts to identify alternative sites in both the northern and southern parts of the city also ran into resistance, leaving the land issue unresolved as of April 2026.While the project is widely viewed as a crucial step towards scientific and sustainable waste management, the requirement of a single, unbroken 10-acre plot has emerged as a major stumbling block. Identifying such land within city limits has proved difficult, significantly constraining the corporation's options.Officials acknowledge that the delay could have wider implications for the city's waste management strategy. In particular, the proposed relocation of the Turmuri waste depot is closely tied to the timely execution of the CBG project, raising concerns about future waste-handling capacity.With the project's future hanging in the balance, pressure is mounting on the BCC to take a clear and decisive stand. The continued delay not only risks derailing a key environmental initiative but also underscores the growing challenge of balancing infrastructure development with public acceptance.