A Biogas Expert’s Perspective on Air Pollution Mitigation
Each year, World Environmental Health Day—celebrated on September 26—serves as a global reminder that the health of our environment is inseparable from the health of our communities. In 2025, the theme “Clean Air, Healthy People” resonates with unprecedented urgency. Air pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental health challenges of our time, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually and exacerbating respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases.
As an international biogas expert and Managing Director of BIOTECH Renewable Energy, I have spent decades working at the intersection of waste management, clean energy, and public health. This year’s theme aligns deeply with our mission: to empower communities through sustainable biogas solutions that not only manage waste but also purify the air we breathe.
The Air Pollution Crisis: A Global Health Emergency
Air pollution is responsible for over 7 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and ground-level ozone are among the most dangerous pollutants, penetrating deep into the lungs and bloodstream. In India and across the Global South, indoor air pollution—caused by burning biomass for cooking—is a silent killer, disproportionately affecting women and children.
Urban centers grapple with vehicular emissions, industrial discharge, and construction dust, while rural areas suffer from open waste burning and inefficient cooking fuels. The cumulative effect is devastating: compromised lung function, increased asthma rates, and rising healthcare costs.
The 2025 theme “Clean Air, Healthy People” is not just a slogan—it is a call to action. And biogas technology offers one of the most practical, scalable, and community-driven solutions to this crisis.
Biogas: A Circular Solution to Air Pollution
Biogas is produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste—such as food scraps, animal dung, and agricultural residues. The process yields methane-rich gas that can be used for cooking, heating, and electricity generation, while the byproduct (slurry) serves as a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.
How Biogas Mitigates Air Pollution:
➥ Replaces firewood and kerosene: Reduces indoor smoke and toxic fumes.
➥ Captures methane: Prevents release of a potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
➥ Eliminates open burning: Reduces particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions.
➥ Supports decentralized energy: Cuts reliance on fossil fuels and diesel generators.
Biogas is not just clean—it’s climate-smart, cost-effective, and community-friendly. It addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Clean Energy (SDG 7), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).
My Journey with BIOTECH INDIA: Scaling Impact Through Biogas
At BIOTECH INDIA, we have spent over two decades developing, deploying, and refining biogas systems that serve households, institutions, and municipalities. Our mission has always been rooted in inclusive development, technology democratization, and environmental stewardship.
With more than 25,000 biogas plants installed across India and abroad, our work has touched lives in urban slums, rural villages, schools, hospitals, and even refugee camps. Each plant is more than a technical installation—it is a symbol of clean air, dignity, and resilience.
Key Innovations:
➲ Compact biogas systems for urban households with limited space.
➲ Institutional models for cafeterias, hostels, and community kitchens.
➲ Municipal waste-to-energy plants that reduce landfill emissions and odour pollution.
➲ Demonstration units that integrate biogas with awareness campaigns and women’s entrepreneurship.
Our approach is holistic: we combine engineering excellence with community engagement, policy advocacy, and capacity-building. We believe that technology must serve people, and that clean air begins with clean energy.
Biogas and Public Health: A Direct Link
Quantifying the Impact: Cleaner Air, Healthier Lives
➱ Reduction of over 100,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions annually.
➱ Elimination of indoor smoke in over 20,000 kitchens.
➱ Diversion of organic waste from landfills, reducing methane and leachate emissions.
➱ Replacement of fossil fuels, cutting down on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.
These numbers translate into real lives improved, real diseases prevented, and real ecosystems protected. At BIOTECH INDIA, we measure success not just in kilowatt-hours or cubic meters—but in breaths made safer, lungs made stronger, and communities made healthier.
Global Relevance: Biogas in the Climate and Health Nexus
As nations strive to meet their climate targets under the Paris Agreement, biogas offers a low-cost, high-impact solution. It bridges the gap between energy access, waste management, and air quality improvement—making it ideal for both developing and developed contexts.
Our international collaborations—from Africa to Southeast Asia—demonstrate the adaptability of our models. Whether in refugee camps, peri-urban settlements, or agricultural hubs, biogas can be tailored to local needs while delivering global benefits.
In 2025, we are expanding our manufacturing license programme and joint venture partnerships to new regions, ensuring that biogas is not just an Indian success story—but a global movement.
World Environmental Health Day: A Platform for Advocacy
World Environmental Health Day provides a powerful platform to:
➱ Raise awareness about the health impacts of air pollution.
➱ Promote clean technologies like biogas as viable solutions.
➱ Engage policymakers to support renewable energy and waste-to-energy initiatives.
➱ Mobilize communities to take ownership of their environmental health.
This year, BIOTECH INDIA is launching a campaign titled “Breathe Clean, Live Green”, featuring demonstration models, school outreach, and multilingual messaging. We aim to inspire action across sectors—government, civil society, academia, and industry.
Policy and Partnerships: Scaling What Works
To mainstream biogas as an air pollution solution, supportive policies are essential. We advocate for:
➱ Subsidies and incentives for biogas plant installation.
➱ Integration into urban waste management plans.
➱ Inclusion in school and hospital infrastructure.
➱ Recognition in climate and health frameworks.
Partnerships with local governments, international agencies, and civil society organizations are key to scaling impact. Our collaborative model ensures that biogas is not just installed—but maintained, monitored, and celebrated.
Looking Ahead: A Breath of Fresh Possibility
As we mark World Environmental Health Day 2025, the message is clear: clean air saves lives, and biogas makes it possible. Our journey—from grassroots innovation to global leadership—shows that sustainable development is not a distant dream, but a daily practice.
In the coming years, we aim to:
➱ Expand our licensing programme to underserved regions.
➱ Develop smart biogas systems integrated with IoT for real-time monitoring.
➱ Launch youth-led campaigns for clean energy awareness.
➱ Advocate for biogas inclusion in national air quality missions.
With visionary leadership, community engagement, and technological excellence, we are breathing life into the theme “Clean Air, Healthy People.”
Final Reflection
As an international biogas expert, I believe that the fight against air pollution must be local in action and global in ambition. Biogas is not just a tool—it is a transformation. It turns waste into wealth, smoke into safety, and despair into dignity.
On this World Environmental Health Day, let us commit to scaling biogas adoption, strengthening environmental health systems, and empowering every community to breathe clean and live green. Because every breath matters—and every solution counts.