Sustainable integrated system for rural development: a case study

India is one of the largest countries in the world, with a population mainly living in villages and primarily engaged in dairy activities along with agriculture. Despite being the largest milk-producing nation, lives of local farmers are challenging due to the lack of access to technology in rural areas. This study aims to develop an integrated system that can solve the problems faced by farmers by utilizing locally available resources. Due to the time lag between milking and storage, milk spoilage is more likely to occur in remote areas. Immediate pasteurization and storage facilities are required. Heating and refrigeration are essential for pasteurization. In India, most villages face power shortages, so biomass heat is suitable for pasteurizing milk. A steam jet refrigeration system is also proposed as it runs with waste biomass for chilling milk. Steam required for both heating and chilling milk is generated in the same biomass-fired boiler. Also, make-up water requirements in the boiler are fulfilled using a rainwater harvesting system. In a conventional dairy plant, a cooling tower is used to supply condensate water required in the condenser. Here this water requirement is fulfilled using a bore well. Subsequently, this water is stored in the irrigation pond to cool it by natural cooling through surface evaporation, making the water suitable for irrigation purposes. Also, the payback period of this system is estimated to be less than six months. Looking at the multiple benefits, this integrated system will further facilitate in achieving sustainable development goals through rural development by 2030.