Chhattisgarh: Baghel government starts buying cow urine at Rs 4 a litre

Under its flagship programme launched in 2020, the Congress government had started procuring cow dung at Rs 2 per kg to make organic fertilisers. Now, it will procure cow urine to make brahmastra (a pesticide) and Jeevamrit (a fertiliser).

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the programme during the Hareli festival celebrations earlier this week. More than 2,300 litres of cow urine was purchased by 63 gauthans in the state on the first day.

At 307 litres, Kabirdham district bought the most cow urine, followed by Balod and Mahasamund districts. Bastar district has three ‘gauthans’ that buy cow urine, while all other districts have two centres each.

Earlier in February this year, Baghel had asked Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain to submit an action plan regarding the scientific usage of cow urine.

Baghel, while speaking during the scheme’s inauguration, said, “Taking a cue from the multi-dimensional results of the Godhan Nyay Yojana, many states in the country started adopting the model…rich or poor, all are selling cow dung.”

Over 76-lakh quintals of cow dung has been procured in the past two years, 22-lakh quintals of which was converted into organic manure by women self-help groups. The government paid Rs 153 crore to the gauthan samitis for the cow dung procurement.

The scheme aims to minimise the use of expensive chemical pesticides and simultaneously promote organic farming in the state, the CM said.